Mount Olympus where unicorns, centaurs and nymphs enjoy the beautiful countryside and dance a celebration of life. Wine pressed for the celebration and imbibed a little freely by Bacchus, riding his donkey, makes him unaware of the storm clouds gathering as Vulcan fashions bolts of lightening for Zeus to toss at the earth below, the violent thunder and rain bringing the celebrations to an abrupt close.
With the storm over, and night approaching, Iris, goddess of the rainbow appears and Apollo riding a fiery chariot across the sky dazzles all in his path. Morpheus flies over the land with a cloak of darkness and the rising moon reveals the goddess Diana whose arrow creates the stars under which the creatures settle for the night.
Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, The Pastoral, was composed between 1807 and 1808.The subtitle was Recollections of Country Life with each movement having a title too which changed under -Disney's direction Disney imagined action for example, Scene by the Brook, Adante molto mosso became Centaurs and Centaurettes, Peasants Merrymaking became the Bachanal, with only The Storm remaining as Beethoven intended.
Disney's Pastoral came in for sever criticism by music critics but Walt's dream has endured while the critics, whether right or wrong with their opinions, are long forgotten.
Some film enthusiasts dislike The Pastoral because of the vivid 'chocolate box' colours employed throughout, and I must admit there are times when I find them just that bit garish. Nevertheless, I always enjoy seeing this segment. One has to forget Ludwig's original intentions and accept Disney's (and his artists) interpretations and always keep in mind the purpose for which it was made, and the period in which it was made.
Brilliant addition to the extracts that have become available over the years. The print is nice and sharp with full colour saturation, though there is some wear on the master at the head and tall which I cheerfully ignored. Look for it at the October BFCC. Highly recommended.
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This page was last updated 02 Dec 2002