I don't know if anyone around here will know about this film, but it's a beautifully animated Russian film that features one of the most exquisite soundtracks I've heard in quite some time. It's very orchestral, very neo-romantic; much in the vein of Rimsy-Korsakov and Stravinsky's Firebird.
The film doesn't reach the Disney levels of animation quality of the time, but I dare it's close enough. Some particular desings -specially the horses and the firebirds- are brilliantly designed and animated, and the backgrounds paintings are quite unique; very inspired in the Russian fairy tale art of the XIX Century.
All that combined with some delightful songs and a breath-taking soundtrack. If you're interested in obscure animation and music you should definetly watch it. Here's a YT link with English subtitules:
But anyways, does anyone know if there's a soundtrack available for this? I imagine a lot of the underscore would've been probably left out anyways -as always- but still, I would absolutely adore to listen to this music on its own. If anyone knows anything -heck, if anyone responds!- I will be most appreciated.
Well I'm certainly glad you posted this with the YouTube link. It's the version I've been wanting to see for decades. I saw this (under the title The Magic Horse) on a 12-inch black and white TV back in the very early 1950s as a child. It was the dubbed English language version released in the USA in 1949 – the Russian release is from 1947.
I'd long wanted a copy on DVD and was able to secure the USA version as a supplement to a public domain copy of the Sabu Jungle Book (PC Treasures, 2005). The color is faded and is only 58 minutes long. What I saw today on YouTube is the complete 70 minute version with what appears to be its original Russian soundtrack. The color is stunning!
The visual style of the film seems to be very much influenced by the early 20th-century Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin. The music seems cribbed less from Stravinsky and Rimsky than some of their lesser-known contemporaries with a dash of warmed-over Rachmaninoff.
