In the 1920’s and 1930’s, Disney Silly Symphony shorts used to play in movie theaters before the main feature. These set many records. The Skeleton Dance was the first musical animation and Flowers and Trees full-color animation using Technicolor. All together, 75 Silly Symphony shorts were made, usually performed by a 32-piece orchestra. Due to limitations in technology at that time, each piece has to be played perfectly at once or they had to start over to try again. Obviously this took talent and skill.
Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration
Last week, at D23 Expo 2015, we were treated to a live orchestra performance – Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration. Also with 32 performers, this was similar to what it would sound like during the recording of an original Silly Symphony film. The event was hosted by Leonard Maltin and music was performed in synchronization with Silly Symphonies shorts being shown. It was really a treat to see and listen to!
The Silly Symphony performance was not just put on the program out of the blue though. The event was in honor of the upcoming the release of the The Silly Symphony Collection box set. This set will feature restored soundtracks from the 75 Silly Symphony shorts from 1929-1939 on 16 vinyl LPs.
The songs included on The Silly Symphony Collection are:
| Volume 1: 1929•1930 The Skeleton Dance El Terrible Toreador Springtime Hell’s Bells The Merry Dwarfs Summer Autumn Cannibal Capers Night Frolicking Fish Arctic Antics Midnight In A Toy ShopVolume 2: 1930•1931 Monkey Melodies Winter Playful Pan Birds of a Feather Mother Goose Melodies The China Plate The Busy Beavers The Cat’s Out Egyptian Melodies The Clock Store The Spider And The Fly |
Volume 3: 1931•1933 The Fox Hunt The Ugly Duckling The Bird Store The Bears and the Bees Just Dogs Flowers and Trees Bugs In Love King Neptune Babes In The Woods Santa’s Workshop Birds In The Spring Father Noah’s ArkVolume 4: 1933•1934 Three Little Pigs Old King Cole Lullaby Land The Pied Piper The China Shop The Night Before Christmas Grasshopper and the Ants The Big Bad Wolf Volume 5: 1934•1935 |
Volume 6: 1935•1936 Water Babies The Cookie Carnival Who Killed Cock Robin? Music Land Three Orphan Kittens Cock O’ The Walk Three Little Wolves Elmer ElephantVolume 7: 1935•1937 Broken Toys Toby Tortoise Returns Three Blind Mouseketeers The Country Cousin Mother Pluto More Kittens Woodland Café Little Hiawatha Volume 8: 1937•1939 |
The Old Mill, Grasshopper and the Ants, and The Ugly Duckling are some of my favorites!
Which Silly Symphony shorts do you like best?
I was invited on an all-expense paid media trip as a guest of Disney in honor D23 Expo. All opinions are my own.
See more:
Marvel’s Avengers Event | Avengers 2: Age of Ultron | Monsters University Event | Frozen Event | Big Hero 6 Event | D23 Expo 2015
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