Composer and alto clarinettist Steven Kamperman has created a new original soundtrack for Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed, the legendary animated film by Lotte Reiniger. Made in 1926, it is considered the first full-length animated feature film in cinema history.

Unlike later animation techniques, Reiniger’s film was not drawn but meticulously cut from paper silhouettes, resulting in a dazzling visual world of shadow, movement, and imagination. Inspired by the stories of One Thousand and One Nights, Prins Achmed remains a timeless cinematic treasure.

Using the film’s narrative as a guide, Steven Kamperman composed a richly layered new score inspired by Middle Eastern musical traditions, drawing on decades of experience with Turkish and Arabic maqams. As in all of his work, the music unfolds across multiple layers: lyrical melodies intertwine with contemporary composed textures and vivid improvisations, creating a colourful and constantly shifting sound world.

Kamperman also composed a short overture performed before the film, preparing the audience in the grand operatic tradition for the journey ahead.

Musicians

The live soundtrack is performed by:

• Steven Kamperman — alto clarinet, composition
• Hamid Reza Behzadian — strings, harmonica, electronics
• Esat Ekincioğlu — double bass

Hamid Reza Behzadian, Iranian by birth, graduated cum laude in Indian classical music from Codarts Rotterdam, studying with masters such as Chiranjib Chakraborty, Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Ratan Bharati. He excels on a wide range of stringed instruments and brings distinctive Iranian “blue notes” to the harmonica, sometimes enhanced with electronic effects.

Turkish bassist Esat Ekincioğlu is internationally known for his work with the AVA Trio. His powerful grooves and adventurous improvisations give the music both grounding and momentum.

Together, Kamperman, Behzadian, and Ekincioğlu guide the audience into the mysterious world of One Thousand and One Nights — from hauntingly beautiful desert melodies to thunderous rhythms accompanying epic battles. The music transforms the screening into a fully immersive live experience.

This project was developed with the support of a composition grant from the Fonds Podiumkunsten.