Who doesn't know the theme tune to the Christmas classic Three Wishes for Cinderella? For over 50 years, the fairy-tale heroine has been riding dreamily through snow-covered landscapes on her white horse Nikolaus, delighting generations of viewers. Cinderella takes her fate into her own hands, fights for her happiness and, right from their first encounter in the forest, shows the prince exactly where he stands. Headstrong and with her heart in the right place – that's what makes this film so special to this day. Since its first broadcast in 1973, this light-hearted fairy tale film with its snowy backdrop and romantic winter atmosphere has become an integral part of the Christmas programme.
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 filled concert halls to capacity during the Christmas season in German-speaking countries, with their stages transformed into the setting for this enchanting love story. Whilst the fairy-tale film plays out on the cinema screen, the film soundtrack by Karel Svoboda is performed live by the 21st Century Orchestra and synchronised scene by scene.
Shortly after the *Cinderella* soundtrack, Svoboda received his first commissions from the West, and he went on to compose theme tunes for animated films such as *Maya the Bee*, *Wickie* and *Nils Holgersson*. But it is only that enchanting melody, to which the princess rides through the snow on her white horse, that is capable of evoking such blissful feelings of happiness in the audience.
FilmPhilharmonic Edition / Film courtesy of the Deutsche Kinemathek on behalf of the DEFA Foundation / Music courtesy of Pro Vox Music Publishing
