60850-7: Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Original Motion Picture Soundt

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Disney's Music Trivia:

• Work on the songs for the feature started in late October 1934, with the first recordings made in January 1936. The first orchestral recordings of the score were made in late August 1937

• Additional music for the film was written by Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline, and Paul J. Smith. According to Smith-family legend, Paul J. Smith conducted the orchestra for the recording sessions

• The soundtrack for the eighty-three minute movie is composed of some eighty-nine musical sequences. The score featured a forty-piece orchestra, which was more than twice as large as the ensembles utilized for Disney's early shorts.
The choir used in the title sequence and close of the film was conducted by the vocal music director of Paramont Pictures, Max Terr (1890-1951)

• Altho famous for his simple, cheerful and catchy melodies, Frank Churchill suffered from nervous condition, dark thoughts, and alcoholism. Ultimately, the left the Studios in August 1937 after a nervous collapse, leaving Harline and Smith, chosen by Walt Disney, to finish the score. Harline talked in a late interview about finishing someone other's already established work and its difficulties: "Fitting my ideas into those of the previous composer and escaping any hint of "patchwork" is not easy."

• For Walt Disney, music was very important in his animations. He wanted the songs to advance the plot and to avoid complicated situations, which needs an explanation to the audience. An example would be the introduction of Snow White in the song "I'm Wishing"

• Originally, Deanna Durbin (1921-2013) was chosen as voice of Snow White. However, Walt Disney felt that the then-fourteen-year old operatically trained actress's voice sounded much too mature for the role. Ultimately, the part was given to Adriana Caselotti.
The eighteen-year-old operatically trained singer had a bel canto voice suited for the role. Larry Morey noted of the young singer "The girl does a good cadenza". Caselotti started recording for the film on January 20, 1936, and was paid $970 for the entirety of her work for the movie.

• The first recorded song was "With a Smile and a Song" from June 1935, while "I'm Wishing" was one of the last songs developed for the film.

• Several additional songs were written for the film. "Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo", "The Lady in the Moon", "Music Everywhere" and "You're Never Too Old To be Young" were all contenders for the entertainment sequence, which ultimately became "The Silly Song"