How did Oskar Fischinger connect abstract animation to classical music?

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Animated scene from The Wild Robot showing a round-eyed robot with a fox perched on its shoulder in a forest clearing. — Animation Scene from the 2024 science fiction animated film *The Wild Robot*, directed by Chris Sanders.

Oskar Fischinger connected abstract animation to classical music by creating what he termed "colored rhythms." Moving away from the narrative-driven fairy tales and comic strips common in early animation, he drew inspiration from the abstract art movement of the 1920s.1

His approach involved meticulously matching shifting color fields and geometric patterns to the compositions of classical composers. These "symphonies of shapes and sounds" were designed to synchronize visual movement with musical structure, effectively translating the auditory experience into a visual medium. His work in this field was highly influential, leading to his role as an initial designer for the Toccata and Fugue sequence in Walt Disney's film Fantasia.1