Customer Reviews

Walt Disney's Fantasia: Remastered Original Soundtrack Edition

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

For fans of FANTASIA this CD is a nice companion to the DVD. You can relive the magic of the film with the audio tracks of the amazingly vivid and expressive performances of Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Those who just listen to the CD will probably be puzzled by the somewhat odd sound of the recording. These tracks were never intended for home listening. The selections for FANTASIA, with one exception, were recorded in 1939 in Philadelphia on film using a pioneering multitrack system. At a time when stereo recording was still just an experiment at Bell Labs, Disney recorded Stokowski and the Philly Orch using four or more different tracks (all on separate film reels) for a multi-dimensional audio experience. The resulting "Fantasound" was only ever presented at just a few select theatres at the original FANTASIA "road-show" engagements.

This revolutionary sound recording sadly has mostly been lost. When FANTASIA was put into general release, the film was cut and the "Fantasound" soundtracks were mixed down to the standard mono track of films of the time. The mono version persisted through multiple releases while the original multitrack masters decayed or disappeared altogether.

The present CD and DVD soundtracks derive from Disney's engineers recent restoration of the surviving sound elements to recreate something of the magic of the lost original. We can thank them for the effort and enjoy these exciting performances in what is probably the best sound they can be found in today. Although the best way to hear it is in the surround 5.1 tracks on the DVD. The fade effects as the sound moves around to match the screen images can sound very peculiar when the recording is listened to alone.

The history of Fantasia's recording and restoration is well documented in a bonus docu-feature on the 60th Anniversary DVD.

One interesting, but little-known side-fact is that the orchestra heard in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is not the Philadelphia! This piece was recorded in Hollywood in 1938 with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic when the "Sorcerer" was originally planned as a deluxe short subject. It was at this time that Stokowski and Disney conceived the idea of a full "Concert Feature" and the remaining tracks were then recorded with the Phildelphia Orchestra including three others that didn't make it into the film.

Anyway, it's still a unique sound/music experience and well worth a listen! Are there better recordings of these works? Of course there are, including ones made by Stokowski. But there's only one FANTASIA!

I agree with the numerous reviewers who bemoan the questionable sound quality on these CDs. FANTASIA was revolutionary for its time, featuring multitrack "Fantasound" audio 13 years before the first "stereo" films were released. In the opinions of many, FANTASIA was one of Disney's greatest moments, and it remains a visual masterpiece 66 years after its initial release. The music in the film was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Leopold Stokowski, who was one of the (if not THE) most prominent conductors in the country at the time. The Fantasound recordings must have indeed been impressive to say the least, if one was fortunate enough to see the film in one of the few theatres where it was presented as such. However, since the audio equipment necessary for Fantasound was very expensive for theatres to install, the audio tracks were mixed to conventional monaural for general theatrical release. The mono soundtrack has remained through subsequent rereleases; sadly, the multitrack Fantasound masters and release prints are lost or no longer exist, period. When the film was rereleased in 1982, it was presented with an all new digital soundtrack recorded by Irwin Kostal with an uncredited orchestra. While the original Stokowski performances are the preferred versions PERFORMANCE-WISE, the new recording nevertheless allowed the music to be once again experienced in multi-channel stereo the way it was intended.

For the film's 50th anniversary theatrical (and subsequent home video) release in 1990, Disney utilized the monaural Stokowski tracks along with other surviving sources and production records to try to recreate the Fantasound effect as closely as possible. It is with these new audio mixes that the film is presented today, and from which this CD was made.

The result is mixed, however interesting. I admire Disney's desire to try to recreate the Fantasound experience from existing mono sources (the multitrack masters no longer exist) and we must commend them for doing the best they could with the materials at their disposal; it was an ambitious project, I'm sure. But let's be realistic...you can only "enhance" 65 year old monaural audio tracks so much before the result becomes undesirable. I have nothing against mono recordings--some of the finest material ever put on records, as well as some of the finest films, were recorded and released monaurally--and I would have been completely satisfied if Disney had just properly restored the existing tracks and released them in pure mono. The result would have been simply glorious.

I also have the 1982 Irwin Kostal recordings on CD (another reviewer has uploaded pictures of these so you'll know which CDs I'm talking about). Although the performances are somewhat less inspired than the Stokoswki originals, the digital stereo sound is far easier to take than the original soundtrack, so my preference would be for those CDs - which, unfortunately, are out of print and hard to find.

When the film is rereleased on DVD in the next few years, I would love to see the Stokowski tracks presented in true mono (at least as an option), or even an all new recording, maybe by Mauceri and the H'wood Bowl Orchestra? And ultimately, we can still hold out hope that the multi-channel Fantasound sources may turn up somewhere.

Let me say up front that I am not an audiophile. Unless something is really good or really bad, it pretty much all sounds the same to me. Additionally, I bought this recording of Fantasia to play on the little nursery CD player in my toddler's room. It does not have the greatest sound quality to begin with, but it suits my purpose, and my three year old can change her own CDs.

WE LOVE FANTASIA. This is the only CD that my daughter will go to sleep to. She listens to it every night. She tells me the stories of the ice skating fairies, the dancing mushrooms, and the swimming fish. She recognizes excerpts from the Nutcracker Suite where ever she hears them. I hear her humming snatches of the various pieces. She also tells me the story of "Magic Mickey" (i.e., The Sorcerer's Apprentice) every night. She recognizes exactly what is going on by the various movements, and has only seen the Fantasia DVD twice. Clearly, she sees the pictures in her head. This is a very special time for us, courtesy of some very special music.

Fantasia also brings back fond memories for me. I can remember seeing the movie with my parents, and later humming the tunes and watching the pictures in MY head. I think Fantasia gave me my love of classical music. It was one of the first cassette tapes that I kept in my car.

This music nurtures the imagination of young and old alike. The sound quality is good enough for me - it sounds perfect to my ears. I give this CD my highest recommendation. It is a grand tradition that can be passed on to younger generations.

Yes, it's poor-quality sound; originally recorded in the 1930s on FILM SOUNDTRACKS--not even 78 records! Recording tape had not even been invented yet. It was a huge experiment: Disney's engineers made a multitrack recording which was to be played through early 'surround-sound' speakers in large theaters. This predated regular stereo audio by 20 years. Sitting in a theater hearing the audio spill out all around you, bouncing around the room and intermingling with the sound from the other speakers, it was an awesome experience. Also, the original version had odd 'special effects' panning in some places, sending various parts of the orchestra sailing around the theater. Again, it was a cool effect in the room, but a 'real orchestra' could never do that.

Unfortunately, when all this is mixed down to a 2-track recording and presented in a clean digital format, every idiosyncrasy of the original recording is presented right along with it. 1930s film soundtracks are noisy and grainy-sounding. The oddball panning creates strange phasing problems. If you are expecting to hear a pristeen 'serious' recording, you will be disappointed. I hear it as a nostalgic recording, reminding me how it 'felt' to be in that theater watching such an important piece of cinematic history. I also approach it as a pioneering feat of technical production, given the time period from which it comes. It really doesn't deserve the trashing all these people are giving it. It is what it is, and it ain't what it aint! Don't expect a hamburger to taste like a steak.

As a kid who grew up with rock and roll as the *only* music out there, a recording like the Fantasia soundtrack would seem old and dated. Certainly not the sort of music a young, supposedly hip kid should be grooving to. But that was then. I'm 25 now, and my musical tastes have expanded so much, if you were to look at my cd collection, you would think I was storing them for my mother, father, sister, and baby brother. No, they're all mine, and now, Fantasia is one of them.

Simply put, Fantasia could best be described as Classical Music's Greatest Hits. All the music you remember from cartoons and movies, and other media are here. And they are performed perfectly! The Toccata and Fuge is powerful and lush. It's an excellent piece to absorb when you turn out the lights. Sorcerer's Apprentice is as timely as ever, and The Rite of Spring is just breathtaking. It doesn't really matter what kind of music you were weened on. Fantasia is a masterpiece of classical classics. Get it. Listen to it. Feel it.

I would have no hesitations whatsoever in giving this wonderful soundtrack a 5-Star rating, but the sound quality (Rather, bad sound quality) is holding me back.

Now, I'm not a CD snob who complains about minor pops and cracks that may appear in the music I listen to, but I can't honestly think that this soundtrack was remastered in any way. The strings are whiny, the horns are, as someone else mentioned, tinny, and the overall sound is nearly unbearable. I've listened to it on three different stereos and the result is always the same.

I understand we're talking about recordings from over sixty years ago, but surely Disney, with all their millions, could afford to give this soundtrack the proper remastering it deserves and bring the full, vibrant sound of the music to the forefront once again.

Don't get me wrong, Fantasia is one of my favorite movies and Stokowski my favorite conductor--a true genius. The problem is that these CDs were "restored" ("destroyed" would be a better word) by someone who has no idea what music sounds like. In a desperate attempt to preserve our ears from any (gasp!) noise, a brutal gating filter was used to destroy any semblance of the sound of real instruments. And, since optical recording of the time had very poor treble response, what treble there is has been boosted mercilessly, resuting in shrill, screechy strings. I really cannot bear to listen to these CDs.

I see that someone has muddied the waters by uploading pictures of the 1980s digital re-recording of the soundtrack (the CDs with the brown background). Blasphemous as it sounds, that may be the better way to hear this music, at least until the Disney company sees fit to allow a proper restoration of the original soundtrack to be done.

For most children, FANTASIA is their introduction to classical music. One should have the video and this CD soundtrack in one's family collection. Aside from whether or not you like the pieces, these interpretations by Stokowski and in all but one case, the Philadelphia Orchestra, are still amazing sonically and dramatically. The finest piece is the RITE OF SPRING with intensly dramatic rhythyms and note separation along the stereo spectrum that is an engineering marvel. Likewise the pacing and depth of celli and soaring violins in the TOCCATA AND FUGUE are amazing. The driving pace and swirling music of the NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN are chaotic evil personified - note the descending strings at the end of the revels made louder as they descend by the engineering - an effect that would be just the opposite in the concert hall. The RUSSIAN DANCE from the NUTCRACKER SUITE has never been more dramatically or more swiftly conducted. The bowing on the strings is amazing. Note: there is one less track than recorded above - CD one allows track two to be the NUTCRACKER SUITE, when this should be the SUGAR PLUM FAIRY DANCE. The sound varies as original sources were decomposing. The mixes will confuse traditional stereo listeners. The music moves in groups across the screen depending on the character or event it is representing. Instruments do not stay put. The original FANTASOUND tracks are no longer available as a source and what you have here is an engineering attempt to recreate that experience. Best to listen to this in a dark room with your head directly between the speakers. Then it can be AWESOME!

I own the original 2 disc set. I thought the re-master would be an improvement. The sound quality on the original is noticeably better than the re-master. One of the worst soundtracks of any CD I've owned since the 80s. I returned it. Don't buy this disc...it sucks. Real bad.

Contrary to what most reviewers have written, this edition is NOT THE ORIGINAL soundtrack from the 1939 movie nor is it the re-mastered original.

Before the film and soundtrack were completely restored in the '90s (?) they had re-released it in the theaters in the 80's with a new print and this ENTIRELY NEW RECORDED soundtrack.

That's right. These were all new recordings by a new orchestra/conductor, etc. (I know this by the cover as it's the first version I purchased, well before the re-mastering of the movie had even occurred. In the description of this product they even say that the studio spent over a million dollars re-recording the entire thing.)

There are differences in the recordings between this edition and the originals. The sound is clearer, cleaner and slightly different in several areas. In particular is the dynamic range. The original recordings (re-mastered or original) - with all of their complexity - tend to be a bit more spiky in tone and range. The originals also move around the stereo image more than these versions. (Most notable is the whirlpool sequence in the "Sorcerer's Apprentice". In the original it really spins around and around! Not so on this one.)

The track of most significance to me is the "Arabian Dance" from the Nutcracker Suite. This recording is the most ethereal, moody, and sensual version I've heard of this beautiful piece; much more so than the movie's original version. The tambourine, for example, is limited which keeps the audio spiking from that instrument to a minimum, thus allowing for a more dreamy quality. That's not to say it's dull and boring; on the contrary!

I also like this "Ave Maria" better as the soprano is more reserved. (I'm not a big fan of opera.)

The original recordings were made are on primitive equipment which shows through even on the re-mastered versions. The versions on this release are just plain cleaner. I like that.

[NOTE: There's also a recording called "Fantasia Music From Walt Disney's FANTASIA " which was compiled of each piece as it was originally written. (Beethoven's "Pastoral" and Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" are missing from the set.) It's an interesting way to hear how much Disney and Stokowski modified the pieces for the movie as these are performances of the original scores. A clear example is that "Night on Bald Mountain" has its original ending as it doesn't transition into "Ave Maria" the way it does in the movie. The selections come from a variety of analogue recordings which were then transferred to digital. All good recordings of good performances. Another for any completest!]