Classic at the Movies - The Magical Music of Walt Disney

The Lion King, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan and The Jungle Book – everybody knows these great Disney classics. But how many people realize that the roster of names behind the music for Disney films reads like a Who’s Who of international musical life – from classical to pop. The great American conductor James Levine, for example, collaborating with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, recorded the music for Fantasia 2000 – including classical favourites by Beethoven, Gershwin, Respighi, Elgar and Shostakovich – while figures like Elton John, Phil Collins, Alan Menken, Hans Zimmer and Jerry Gold-smith have composed for Disney soundtracks.

All of these famous names have contributed to the unique quality of these total artworks, making the great Disney masterpieces not only a musical must for children, but obligatory view-ing – and listening – for grown-ups too. For Abu Dhabi Classics’ first film-music concert, conductor Allan Wilson has selected the most beautiful melo-dies from Walt Disney films for performance by London’s Philharmonia Orches-tra. And, of course, the indispensable visual dimension will be catered for with a movie screen behind the orchestra.