Which is the best (most authentic) version of Disney´s Fantasia?

Question

A colleague of mine is looking for a DVD of Fantasia to use in a course she teaches about film music. She says she wants the "original version." Knowing that that doesn´t strictly exist, which one would be the closest? I know that there are a few out there.

Answer 1

Actually there's just the two editions, The original FANTASIA and FANTASIA 2000. The original film featured "Toccata and Fugue in D minor," "Nutcracker Suite," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," "Rite of Spring," "Pastorale Symphony," "Dance of the Hours," and "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria."

Fantasia 2000 featured pieces based on "Beethoven's 5th Symphony," "Pines of Rome," Rhapsody in Blue," Shostakovich's "Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major," "Carnival of the Animals," "Pomp and Circumstance," and "The Firebird Suite." Also, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from the original film.

The 2000 DVD release of the original FANTASIA is pretty much the way the original film was except for a few moments in the Pastorale Symphony that was edited out because they portrayed some negative African American stereotypes.

Answer 2

The DVD version of Fantasia which comes the closest to the original theatrical release is the "Special 60th Anniversary Edition", which includes the original opening, intermission and Deems Taylor commentary.
The missing footage was taken from the Pastoral Symphony sequence, showing a caricature-featured black centaurette maid for a few seconds of film time--that footage was re-sized to exclude the character without losing the continuity of the film--other frames featuring the same character may have been taken out of the film later in the same sequence--since there is what may be a brief and abrupt jumpcut of a second or two--Those are the only omissions I can spot.

Answer 3

The original one is still able to be found. It was made in the 1940's, but sometimes can be found at tagsales and at online retailers (eBay or Amazon).

Answer 4

Who cares they all cure insomnia.