Evening star., 1941-05-13
Fantasia Strikes New Notes.
Always Brilliant Ones
Musical Merit
Debatable at
Many Points
BY ALICE EVERSMAN.

BY ALICE EVERSMAN.
There must have been consider
able uneasiness in the spirit world
last night where the dead and gone
great composers presumably have
found peace. The cause of it was
Walt DiSiney'S perturbation of sew
eral Of the beloved numbers from
the symphonic literature in the film
Fantasia" shown for the first time
in this city at the National Theater.
AS for the disciples of these gifted
musical writer's present in the audi
ence, they experienced an uprooting
of cherished ideas that will un-
doubtedly have psychological effect
impossible to eradicate.
In this attempt to "gild the lily"
Mr.. Disney had the collaboration of
Leopold Stokowski and the Phila-
delphia Orchestra and while some
may have been assisted to a greater
appreciation of the meaning of the
chosen numbers, the chances are
that the excursion into fairyland
and back to childhood to the strains
OF symphonic masterpieces will have
proved too much for those who are
accustomed to mount to the heights
on these same strains.
The consideration of the film as
work of motion picture art belongs
in the province of Jay Carmody,
drama editor. But as a contribu-
ton tc the furtherance of an ap-
probation of music, and great music
at that, it has many debatable
points. Here was an effort to Wis
uallze ideas born of study OF the
"Toccata and Fugue in D Minor"
by Bach, Tschaikowsky's Nut
cracker Suite" Dukas' THE Sorcer-
er's Apprentice, Stravinsky's Rite
Of Spring" Beethoven's Pastoral
Symphony" Ponchiellis dance of
the Hours" Moussorgsky's Might on
Bald Mountain" and Schubert's
Ave Maria"
Mr. Stokowski has made a life
work of teaching the meaning Of
music in its full dimension to audi
ences over the country. He has
shown them, by his readings, the
spiritual value Of it and has taught
musicians. to think of it in those
terms 1t comes, then, rather as a
shock that he would lend himself
and the excellent musicians under
his direction to the Interpretation
Mr.. Disney has evolved, charming
as it is. One can be indulgent and
appreciative at the same time of
the loveliness and the delicacy of
the flower motifs of the Nut
cracker Suite" the darting fairies,
and the coming to life of the flower
world at their magic touch. Or
Mickey Mouse in his role of The
Sorcerer's Apprentice" where his
penChant for getting into trouble
has full play. Put turning the
rural simplicity of Beethoven's Pas
toral" into neurological episode
with a modern angle must have
disturbed the great composer eter-
nal sleep more than any desecra-
tionS offered 1t by unSkilled and
POLITICALLY lacking conductors.
Mr.. Disney has, however, opened
way for a better comprehension
of modern music with what he has
done with Stravinsky's Rite of
Spring" Trying to find meaning
to most Of the music written in an
advanced rhythm has proved
headache for both interpreter and
listener, but could Mr.. Disney be
but induced to concentrate on
solution, all worries about its future
would be at an end. In Rite of
Spring." he envisions the beginning
of the world and the development
of life, leaving it, however, for some
reason, at the end of the dinosaur
age. On second thought, this is not
a bad idea for in the minds of many
listeners in concert hall is left the
image of strange and fearsome
beasts.
The extravaganza created for the
Dance of the Hours" just about
rules that number out from any
inclusion in the repertoire of the
Ballet Russo, for 1t will be difficult
to forget the prancing hippopotami,
the huge feet of the ostriches in
their ballet shoes and the sleeky
alligators in their dance rhythms.
AS satire it is funny. AS the
Interpretation of a beloved musical
work, it is not. What Mr.. Disney
has thought out for Night on Bald
Mountain" We turn over to those
persons who protested against the
effect the witch in Snow White"
had on the imagination of little chill
dren. It's gruesomeness could not
be balanced by the serene in fan
tastic picturing accompanying the
ave Maria" with which the picture
ends.
AS for the music itself, one paid
very little attention to it. The eye
was too busy with the many really
fine effects for the ear to be con-
sidered. The "Toccata and Fugue"
gave an opportunity for the orches-
tra's playing to be reproduced in
color and motion with Mr.. Stokow-
ski on a pedestal and surrounded
by rosy halo. Deems Taylor was
the commentator, but missed many
opportunities to exercise his gift
for humorous expression.
Perhaps when one has become ac-
-