Walt Disney’s Masterpiece Fantasia Double VHS Deluxe Collectors Edition Box Set was released some time in 1992, I don’t remember the original price but when I saw this boxset in my local HMV I had to get it.
This special collectors edition included two VHS Cassettes of Fantasia and The Making Of Fantasia, also the original soundtrack digitally remastered on two CD’s, a Commemorative Lithograph Of Original Concept Painting Fantasia 1939, a full colour 32 page commemorative brochure, and a Certificate Of Authenticity signed by Roy E Disney.
Deluxe Collector’s Edition
Another large boxset, cardboard slip cover with gold colour lettering and the picture of Micky Mouse is just a sticker, the back, top and bottom spine are blank.
The measurements of the box are as follows:
- 300mm wide
- 50mm deep
- 380mm high
- weight 2.0Kg
The spine has the same gold colour lettering
The information card was stuck to the back of the box
The Contents
On sliding open the slip cover the first thing you see are three glossy leaflets, In my collections I never throw out any leaflets.
The first is a single sheet free poster (59.4cm x 84.1cm) offer that closed 31th January 1992
The second is a 10 page advertisement leaflet for other VHS tapes you can buy “THE MAGIC OF DISNEY IN YOUR OWN HOME FOR KEEPS!”
The third leaflet is the Programme of contents.
- Toccata and Fugue in D Minor – Bach
- The Nutcracker Suite – Tchaikovsky
- The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Dukas
- Rite of Spring – Stravinsky
- The Pastoral Symphony – Beethoven
- Dance of the Hours – Ponchielli
- Night on Bald Mountain – Moussorgsky
- Ave Maria – Schubert
Under the Leaflets you will find the Certificate of Authenticity signed by Roy Disney.
This is printed on a textured paper and all the gold coloured parts are embossed.
The signature is not written on the paper but printed and is the same in each edition.
Deluxe Commemorative Edition 32 Page Brochure
Contents
- Credits
- Introduction
- Toccata and Fugue in D Minor – Johann Sebastian Bach
- The Nutcracker Suite – Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky
- The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Paul Dukas
- Rite of Spring – Igor Stravinsky
- The Pastoral Symphony – Ludwig Van Beethoven
- Dance of the Hours – Amilcare Ponchielli
- Night on Bald Mountain – Modeste Moussorgsky
- Ave Maria – Franz Schubert
- Fantasia – Completed and Continuing to Amaze
- Fantasound
Example of a page showing posters from 1940 to 1985 and different countries.
Example showing Introduction page
Example showing The Sorcerer’s Apprentice page
Example showing The Pastoral Symphony
Each page follows the same format and is clean and well laid out giving details of the development of each chapter of the film.
Commemorative Lithograph
Digging further down the box under the 32 page commemorative brochure there is an envelope containing a Lithograph of original concept painting showing the Sorcerer’s Apprentice
The Media
Two VHS Tapes and Two CDs
Walt Disney’s Masterpiece Fantasia (1940) VHS
Fantasia: The Making of a Masterpiece (1991) VHS
Original Soundtrack Digitally Re-mastered Disc 1
Original Soundtrack Digitally Re-mastered Disc 2
Walt Disney’s Masterpiece Fantasia (1940) VHS
(approximately 115 min)
A restored version of the original Film
Fantasia: The Making of a Masterpiece (1991) VHS
(approximately 41 min)
Presents the story of the creation of Walt Disney’s 1940 Fantasia and includes parts that did not appear in the original film.
Original Soundtrack Digitally Re-mastered Disc 1
Leopold Stokowski and The Philadelphic Orchestra
Track Listing:
- Toccata and fugue in D minor
- The nutcracker Suite
- The sorcerer’s apprentice
- Rite of spring
Original Soundtrack Digitally Re-mastered Disc 2
Leopold Stokowski and The Philadelphic Orchestra
Track Listing:
- The Pastoral symphony
- Dance of the hours
- Night on Bald Mountain
- Ave Maria
My Final Thoughts
This is a good box set but I don’t remember if I have ever played the VHS tapes, the CDs I’ve played a number of times, I Do have an old VHS player but I wouldn’t dare play the tapes in it, VHS players haven’t been manufactured since 2016 and some are still for sale in the original box on eBay and such but I still don’t trust them, If some manufacture like Panasonic made a new model I’m sure I and a lot of others would snap it up.
OUT OF MY COLD DEAD HANDS WILL I PART WITH THIS BOXSET