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Walt Disney Art Classics - Fantasia 2000 - Two by Two
Pomp and Circumstance
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"Pomp and Circumstance"
Marches 1, 2, 3 and 4 (instrumental)
Composed by Sir Edward Elgar
Animation Director Francis Glebas
The Story
As Noah's assistants, Daisy and Donald, load the Ark, they're separated. The stately strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" only serve to emphasize the confusion as Donald's job turns into an ordeal of biblical proportions, and for a heart-wrenching moment, it looks as if he'll have to board the Ark alone instead of two by two with his own darling Daisy.
The Artwork
Sir Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" is certainly best known as "the graduation music." Disney CEO Michael Eisner suggested the piece for Fantasia 2000 after attending a graduation ceremony. Eisner liked the renown of the piece, coupled with its pleasant associations - people hear "Pomp and Circumstance" and think of someone they love achieving something. Finding the right story for the music was difficult. Initially, a lofty ceremony involving all the Disney Princesses was considered. Segment Director Francis Glebas had originally worked on a story featuring this segment's dove accompanied by "The Barber of Seville." Donald Duck replace the dove, "Pomp" replaced "Barber," and the idea took off.
Everyone agreed that this project could provide Donald with a role of equal stature to Mickey's performance as "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." Glebas and supervising animator Tim Allen scrutinized Donald's on-screen persona to be sure they captured the essential Donald for Fantasia 2000. Irritable, lazy, impatient, resistant to control and prone to tantrums; the creative team plumbed the comic possibilities of all these characteristics for their story. At the same time, they understood the "real" Donald Duck and juxtaposed these simpler traits with Donald's desire to be well thought of and to do the right thing. This is the complex mixture that makes Donald a lovable "everyman" instead of a loud and annoying blowhard.
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