Performers
Who doesn't know the theme tune to the Christmas classic ‘Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella’? For over 50 years, the fairytale heroine has been riding dreamily through snow-covered landscapes on her grey horse Father Christmas, delighting generations of viewers. Cinderella takes her fate into her own hands, fights for happiness and shows the prince where to go right from their first encounter in the forest. Stubborn and with its heart in the right place - that is what makes the film so special to this day. Since it was first shown in 1973, this light-hearted film fairy tale with its snowy backdrop and wintry, romantic atmosphere has become an integral part of the Christmas programme. This cinematic Christmas miracle is due to curious circumstances: The original script envisaged Cinderella running across ‘blooming meadows’; however, because the film studios for the Czech-German co-production were already scheduled for summer, director Václav Vorliček had the story moved to winter without further ado.
Once again, the beautiful Cinderella and her prince can look forward to a very special stage: for several years now, ‘Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella’ has regularly sold out concert halls in German-speaking countries at Christmas time, transforming their stages into the setting for the enchanting love story. While the fairy-tale film takes its course on a large screen, the film soundtrack by Karel Svoboda is played live by a large symphony orchestra and synchronised scene by scene with the romantic and witty adventures. Shortly after the Cinderella soundtrack, Svoboda received his first commissions from the West and his title melodies for animated films such as ‘Maya the Bee’, ‘Vicky the Viking’ and ‘Nils Holgersson’ were created. But only the enchanting melody to which the princess chases through the snow on her white horse can evoke such blissful feelings of happiness in the audience.
(ATG Entertainment)
FilmPhilharmonic Edition / Film with the permission of the Deutsche Kinemathek on behalf of the DEFA Foundation / Music with the permission of Pro Vox Music Publishing
Duration: approx. 90 minutes without intermission
Language: German