Interview with the Vampire

 

Interview with the Vampire

(Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Music Composed by

Elliot Goldenthal

Renovatio Records presents a reissue of Elliot Goldenthal’s haunting score for Interview with the Vampire (1994), Neil Jordan’s gothic horror classic starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, and Stephen Rea. Based on Anne Rice’s novel of the same title, the film follows Louis, a vampire recounting a life steeped in passion, loss, and moral conflict to a modern-day journalist. Interview with the Vampire arrived at a time when vampire films were undergoing a renaissance, as audiences were drawn to the genre’s dark allure and gothic aesthetics, brought to life in Coppola’s recent Bram Stoker’s Dracula. However, Jordan’s film, with its mix of seductive horror and existential sorrow, needed a sound that delved into deeper psychological territory than its predecessors. Initially, George Fenton was hired for this task, but after his music was deemed too restrained, the producers turned to Goldenthal, whose avant-garde leanings and swift adaptability made him the ideal candidate to create a daring and complex score. Completed in a few intense weeks, Goldenthal’s work earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, its gothic classicism and rich instrumentation capturing the haunting intricacies of Rice’s immortal characters.

Goldenthal’s approach draws on both classical and experimental techniques, crafting a musical landscape that captures the tragic beauty of Louis, the film’s conflicted narrator, while also exploring the violent, chaotic nature of vampires, represented mostly by Lestat, his ruthless counterpart. This duality is evident in the track “Born to Darkness,” where a sorrowful string melody builds slowly, evoking Louis’s tragic past before exploding in a dissonant orchestral crescendo as Lestat transforms him. Goldenthal’s true vision for Lestat, however, comes through in cues like “Lestat’s Tarantella” and “Lestat’s Recitative.” The former introduces a grotesque carnival theme with a jarring, frenetic energy that starkly contrasts the score’s gothic undertones, while the latter, through the use of a harpsichord motif, creates a haunting yet playful portrait of Lestat’s unpredictable nature. These thematic and instrumental choices lend a macabre humor to the score, demonstrating Goldenthal’s resistance to conventional romanticism in favor of tonal shifts that defy traditional continuity.

The score also introduces a motif for Claudia, the young girl trapped forever in a child’s body after being turned into a vampire. Goldenthal created a delicate piano melody that recalls an ancient lullaby, perfectly capturing her tragic nature. This theme is introduced in “Claudia’s Transformation” and is revisited in “Abduction and Cistern,” this time played on a glass harmonica to reflect her fragile, doll-like innocence. “Claudia’s Transformation” also features an intense agitato for violin and piano, showcasing Goldenthal’s classical sensibilities.

Goldenthal’s fascination with brass and woodwind experimentation finds ample expression here, where his use of quivering brass and eerie woodwind effects evokes the supernatural, otherworldly quality of vampirism. This is especially apparent in cues like “Plantation Pyre,” “Escape to Paris,” and “Theatre des Vampires,” where brass tones oscillate between harmony and discord, mirroring the characters’ detachment from humanity. Further similar brass performances can be heard during the relentless action portions of “Abduction and Cistern” and “Louis’ Revenge”, where the tarantella motif is revisited more menacingly than ever. Additionally, the score’s two transformation cues incorporate inventive “breathing” voices and heartbeats, further demonstrating Goldenthal’s extraordinary creativity.

The score’s emotional high points emerge in pieces like “Libera Me,” “Induction and Lament,” and “Finale,” where Goldenthal’s romantic and tragic themes shine. These cues are marked by a sense of reverence, capturing the sorrow of lives bound to darkness and the unending desire for redemption. Here, Goldenthal’s melodic restraint contrasts powerfully with the chaotic intensity elsewhere in the score, offering brief moments of reflection and beauty amidst the underlying madness. These cues likely contributed to Goldenthal’s critical acclaim, demonstrating his skill in creating an emotionally resonant, nuanced soundtrack.

While widely praised, the score for Interview with the Vampire has polarized listeners due to its unconventional structure and tonal diversity. Some may find the lack of a cohesive melody and the sudden shifts in tone unsettling compared to the more traditional melodic scores of its era. Yet others admire Goldenthal’s daring originality, recognizing his score as transcending horror, moving toward an operatic, avant-garde expression of emotional complexity. Furthermore, the score’s analog recording quality, uncommon by the mid-1990s, lends it a slightly raw, unpolished edge, reinforcing the sense of timelessness and decay that permeates the story.

The original 1994 release by Geffen Records offered a condensed album with highlights from Goldenthal’s score, alongside Guns N' Roses’ cover of “Sympathy for the Devil” used in the end credits. However, this release omitted several key pieces, and many cues were trimmed, rearranged, or mixed to balance the album’s runtime, compromising some of the score’s narrative power. This new release by Renovatio Records addresses these issues by presenting unreleased cues in their original chronological order, offering fans and newcomers alike a fuller experience of Goldenthal’s extraordinary work. Whether polarizing or beloved, Interview with the Vampire remains a distinctive musical interpretation of the gothic horror genre—one that continues to captivate, disturb, and haunt listeners.

Track listing:

1. Libera Me (2:48)

2. Born to Darkness (2:32)

3. Louis' Transformation (5:02)

4. Plantation Pyre (2:37)

5. Lestat's Recitative (4:55)

6. Lestat's Tarantella (0:47)

7. Claudia's Transformation (6:34)

8. Lestat Deceived (3:15)

9. Escape to Paris (3:10)

10. Théâtre des Vampires (2:01)

11. Armand's Seduction (3:06)

12. Induction and Lament (3:19)

13. Abduction and Cistern (5:14)

14. Louis' Revenge (5:17)

15. Finale (2:10)

Total Running Time: 53:47

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Size: 319.5 MB

Files type: FLAC Audio File [.flac]

Channels: 2 (stereo)

Sample Rate: 44.1 KHz

Sample Size: 16 bit

Bit Rate: 1,411 kbps

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Credits:

Music Composed by Elliot Goldenthal

Music Produced by Matthias Gohl

Executive in Charge of Music for Warner Bros. Gary LeMel

Orchestrations by Robert Elhai and Elliot Goldenthal

Conducted by Jonathan Sheffer

Recorded and Mixed by Steve McLaughlin and Joel Iwataki

Electronic Music Produced by Richard Martinez

Orchestra Contracted by Emile Charlap

Recorded and Mixed at Manhattan Center Studios, NY

Music Editors: Michael Connell and Chris Brooks

Mastered by Vlado Meller at Sony Music, NY

"Libera Me" Vocals by The American Boychoir

Solo Violin: Glenn Dicterow, Ray Gniewek

Solo Piano: Bill Mays

Viola da Gamba: Louise Schulman

Harpsichord: Wendy Young

Glass Harmonica: Cecilian Brauer

All songs written by Elliot Goldenthal and published by WB Music Corp./Safe Space Music adm. by MCA Music Publishing, a division of MCA, Inc. ASCAP

The American Boychoir appears courtesy of Angel Records

Cue Assembly:

Track Title	Slate and Cue Title
1. Libera Me	1m1 Main Title - Libera Me
2. Born to Darkness	1m3b 1791 - The Plantation - Longing For Death (Edited) 1m4 Up The Mast
3. Louis’ Transformation	2m1 Bedroom Scene – Sunrise (Edited)
	2m1b Prelude and Bite – Transformation (Edited)
4. Plantation Pyre	3m2a Lestat On Horse 3m3a Louis Burns House Part A (Edited) 3m3b Louis Burns House Part B
5. Lestat’s Recitative	4m1a Lestat Baits Louis 4m1a Insert Lestat Baits Louis tk 2 4m1bAlt We Are Predators (Edited)
6. Lestat’s Tarantella	4m3 Tarantella and Flight
7. Claudia’s Transformation	4m2 Louis Meets Claudia (Edited) 6m2 Claudia Freaks Out 5m1 Claudia Joins The Club (Edited)
8. Lestat Deceived	7m1 Claudia Deceives Lestat (Edited) 7m1a Collapses Time
9. Escape to Paris	7m6 Escape to Paris
10. Théâtre des Vampires	8m3a Santiago's Waltz 8m5 The Vampire Banquet (Edited)
11. Armand’s Seduction	9m1alt The Universe Is Empty (Edited) 9m3 Armand’s Seduction (Edited)
12. Induction and Lament	9m2 Beyond Words (Edited) 6m4 Time To Leave (Edited) 10m1 Induction and Lament 9m2alt Beyond Words (Edited)
13. Abduction and Cistern	10m2 Abduction And Cistern (Edited) 12m2 False Ending Part III (Edited) 10m2a Armand Rescues Louis (Edited) 10m2b Glass Harmonica Coda Claudia's Theme For Glass Harmonica v1 (Edited) Claudia's Theme For Glass Harmonica v2 (Edited)
14. Louis’ Revenge	10m3 Loss and Revenge 10m2c Absolution
15. Finale	12m2 Fake Ending (Edited) 2m1 Bedroom Scene – Sunrise (Edited) 2m2b Commedia dell'arte Part B (Edited)

Motion picture artwork and photos © 1994 Geffen Records, Inc. This compilation and cover artwork © 2024 Renovatio Records. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. For promotional use only.

Renovatio Records [0-01702-19071]

Alien 3

Alien 3 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Music Composed and Orchestrated by Elliot Goldenthal

April 26th is Alien Day, and here at Renovatio Records we want to celebrate it big time with a new release: Elliot Goldenthal’s avant-garde neo-classical score for Alien 3.

The controversial 1992 movie was the directorial debut of David Fincher and saw Sigourney Weaver reprising Ellen Ripley, accompanied by a great supporting cast that included Charles Dance, Charles S. Dutton, Lance Henriksen, Ralph Brown, and Pete Postlethwaite. Set immediately after the events of Aliens, Ripley is the only survivor of an escape pod that jettisons from the Sulaco after an electrical fire. Unfortunately, the pod crashes on Fiorina 161, a prison planet in which violent male inmates reside. Moreover, unbeknown to her, a facehugger has made its way to the escape pod and now runs loose in the facility. The alien eventually infects an inmate’s dog and quickly a new Xenomorph spawns, which, as expected, starts killing the prison inhabitants in very gruesome ways. Soon after, Ripley realizes that she will have to face not only her longtime enemy once more, but also her worst nightmare as she herself is the host for another creature, a queen that may reproduce into thousands of the deadly alien species.

After the successful two previous entries, Alien 3 was regarded as a major letdown by both critics and fan bases with many calling it the worst film in the franchise. Fincher himself would eventually disown the movie, stating that studio interference was detrimental to the final quality of the product. However, though flawed and definitely inferior to its predecessors, the film still has its own merits and much to offer. For starters, the acting is phenomenal, with Weaver providing what may well be her best performance in the franchise. The art direction and cinematography are also top notch, with a predominant use of cameras placed close to ground and pointed up to emphasize the claustrophobic confines of the prison. And what’s more, one cannot help to appreciate the boldness of this film; in the first half an hour, a dog gets killed in a grisly manner, and Hicks and Newt, Ripley’s surrogate family from James Cameron’s Aliens, are killed off without hesitation. Decisions like these show that the sequel was not afraid to go against all possible expectations from the franchise fan base as well as horror film clichés, which makes it quite worthy of appreciation for its originality. It should also be noted that even with the studio interference, Alien 3 has many qualities of a David Fincher film; it is excellently shot, and it introduces the nihilist undertones that the director would continue to explore throughout his filmography. Alien 3’s themes deal namely with the inevitability of death, the perversities of man, the frailty of the human condition, and the dynamics of human power in isolated settings, all set against a backdrop of elements exploring religion, redemption and self-sacrifice. The Xenomorph itself is treated as both a bringer of death and as a plot device to suggest the inevitability of failure, suffering, and grieving, as all the attempts the inmates make to improve their precarious situations are quickly boycotted by the creature with devastating aftermaths. Room is also given to display how monstrous men can also be; there’s a gang rape attempt scene that it is as unsettling as any encounter with the alien. In short, Alien 3 is a film that can be greatly appreciated with a clear notion of who Fincher is as a filmmaker. It is visually striking as it is existentially suggestive, and moreover it infuses a genuine mood of fear, thanks greatly to its effective musical score.

At the time, Elliot Goldenthal had scored very few films, with perhaps Pet Sematary being his most recognizable effort. The score for Alien 3 would eventually become a groundbreaking entry for the composer, one that would help him get several important projects during the following decade. For this movie, Fincher and Goldenthal had extensive discussions about the approach to be taken, with the director being specific in wanting the music to work as an atmosphere that employed sound effects. The composer would then go on to create a musical world that effectively blends sound design with a classical orchestra in such ways that, when watching the film, it is difficult to discern if you are listening to the score or just plain sound effects. This approach allows the music to emerge unexpectedly, as if it were the alien itself bursting out of the shadows. With the film exploring themes related to faith and religion, Goldenthal introduces operatic and religious elements, namely a beautiful but haunting boy soprano that stands out during the “Main Title” cue, a track that perfectly encapsulates the mood of the film: a constant struggle between romanticism and chaos. Furthermore, the composer conjures up several themes and motifs. Ripley gets her own theme, in the form of a tormented yet catchy progression of five notes, first introduced in the latter half of “The Survivor is a Woman”. Her involvement with the prison doctor, Clemens (brilliantly played by Charles Dance), is treated with a tender theme for piano, strings and solo oboe, which can be found in “Ripley and Clemens Bond”, and during the first half of “It’s a Long Sad Story”. However, the standout theme of the score is Goldenthal’s theme for sacrifice, first hinted at in high-end strings during the end of “Lullaby Elegy”, and later explored during “The Cremation” and during the highlight of the whole score, “Adagio”. This theme is a simple set of four ascending chords, which are both romantic and dark. “Adagio” is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful creations of Goldenthal’s career. In this track, the composer finally provides an emotional payoff for Ripley’s theme, while also unleashing a full ensemble performance of the sacrifice theme, perfectly underscoring the ultimate self-sacrifice Ripley makes at the end. The track graciously ends with a climactic and victorious full orchestral progression of three-note descending phrases, as the aliens have been finally defeated, before deflating and closing the film with a lovely and distant solo trumpet as Ripley’s recorded last report from the Nostromo is overheard.

The music Goldenthal provides for the Xenomorph is also astonishing. The creature is fittingly represented with a series of unsettling yet memorable sound effects produced by the brass section of the orchestra. Distorted trombones, trumpets, and horns whale and whine, showcasing the composer’s expertise at experimenting and writing for brass, a trademark in his career. The best examples of the Xenomorph’s motifs can be found in “The First Attack”, “Candles in the Wind”, the second half of “It’s a Long Sad Story”, and during the final chase sequences in “Bait and Chase” and “The Entrapment”. Other standouts of the score include the second half of “Wreckage and Rape” and the finale in “The Entrapment”. In the former, Goldenthal provides a wild rock-inspired mayhem, consisting of howling, processed voices, percussion effects and electric guitar effects. This cue perfectly encompasses the rage of unleashed male libido as the inmates attempt to rape Ripley, and though it may be hard to sit through it for some listeners, one cannot help to appreciate Goldenthal’s musical diversity. “The Entrapment” concludes the relentless final chase sequence, with a burst of shimmering, cascading string lines, as Ripley pours gallons of water over the molten lead covered alien, causing it to explode. This short piece of musical writing exhibits Goldenthal's genius at film scoring, perfectly evoking the sense of falling water while cathartically providing resolution to the struggle against the alien.

The marriage of the classical orchestral power and Goldenthal’s avant-garde and groundbreaking sound experimentation is what certainly makes the score of Alien 3 a triumph. The music contained in it laid the groundwork for the composer’s defining sound of his entire career. Many of Goldenthal’s mannerisms saw their birth in this score, with several of its ideas being later employed across scores as varied as Sphere, Interview with the Vampire, Titus, Michael Collins, the Batman sequels and many more.

The score for Alien 3 was released in 1992 by MCA Records in the form of a 50-minute album presentation that had several cues fused together and out of chronological order. In 2018, La-La Land Records released a 2-CD complete album of the score, with 40 additional minutes of music. This new program put together by Renovatio Records presents the standout cues from the film in chronological order, which helps appreciate how effectively Goldenthal plays around with his orchestral motifs and distinctive sound designs, as the movie progresses.

We would also like to invite you to enjoy this year’s Alien Day by revisiting our previous releases for Alien by Jerry Goldsmith and Aliens by James Horner. It cannot be denied that this franchise has produced scores that were and continue to be major influences in the science fiction, horror and action genres.

Track listing:

1. Main Title (4:30)

2. The Survivor Is a Woman (4:00)

3. Lullaby Elegy (4:02)

4. The Cremation (4:00)

5. Ripley and Clemens Bond (1:44)

6. The First Attack (2:24)

7. Wreckage and Rape (2:30)

8. Candles in the Wind (3:18)

9. It's a Long Sad Story (3:57)

10. What Are We Going to Do? (4:16)

11. Explosion and Aftermath (2:15)

12. You've Got One Inside (2:24)

13. I'm Not One for Begging (2:00)

14. Bait and Chase (4:42)

15. The Entrapment (7:08)

16. Adagio (4:23)

Total Running Time: 57:33

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Sphere

Sphere (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music Composed by Elliot Goldenthal

Here at Renovatio Records, we are pleased to announce that we are starting a music cycle! The theme for this cycle is scores for films that take place in underwater settings. When putting together our list, we found ourselves rediscovering some forgotten gems. One of these gems is undoubtedly Elliot Goldenthal's under-estimated score for the 1998 sci-fi thriller Sphere, directed by Barry Levinson and starring an ensemble cast that includes Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Liev Schreiber, Queen Latifah and Peter Coyote. The film, based on a novel by author Michael Crichton, involves a group of intellectuals summoned by the U.S. government after discovering a supposedly alien spacecraft at the bottom of the ocean. When investigating the remains of the ship they make contact with a mysterious golden sphere that puts their perception of reality in question. Despite its intriguing and original plot, the film did not meet critical nor financial expectations and was soon left in oblivion. Something similar could be said about Goldenthal's score, which was released by Varèse Sarabande in the form of a very short album. This was caused by the fact that Goldenthal recorded half of the score in New York and the other half in Los Angeles. Therefore, due to re-use fees, the composer and the label had to choose one of the two sets of recordings for the album. They eventually decided that the music from the New York recordings was more interesting, but this meant that a great amount of highlights were left out of the release. This was of course not received very well by film music aficionados, who went on to flag the score as unoriginal, predictable and as an overall difficult listening experience due to some forced track edits and merges.

For this Renovatio Records release, we were able to find all the music Goldenthal composed for the music and we put it together in an album presentation that will certainly give film music fans the opportunity to appreciate the composer's unique and usual techniques used in the film. In Sphere, you'll find a very busy brass section, with shrieking horns and frenetic trumpets, as well as the composer's regular use of dissonant strings, piano solos, harmonic passages, electronic sound designs and adagios and crescendos reminiscent of Alien 3. A leitmotif can also be identified for the sphere itself in the form of an ascending six-note theme that dominates the score right from the "Main Titles" onward. The awesome gift that the otherworldly object provides to the main characters, allowing them to manifest their dreams, is also treated with a magical orchestral theme led by strings that explodes in some key scenes, as when the team of scientists approaches the spacecraft, stressing with great narrative effect the sphere's desire to be found. This cue was not present in the original album and you can find it here for the first time in the track "Habitat Arrival". Also worth noticing is a gentle and eerie piano motif that ominously suggests the dangers of giving the human mind the power to make our dreams become real (hear "Formidable Monster" and "Manifest Fire"). Goldenthal also managed to develop tremendous action pieces with a forceful orchestra that will put your speakers to the test. This score deserves a second chance and we can guarantee that you won't be disappointed again!

Track Listing:
1. Main Titles (2:51)
2. Andante (2:31)
3. Helicopter to Ship (2:39)
4. Habitat Arrival (2:30)
5. Life Underwater (1:25)
6. Visit to a Wreckage (4:20)
7. The Cockpit (2:11)
8. Discovery of the Sphere (3:18)
9. Harry Enters the Sphere (4:38)
10. Jellyfish (2:56)
11. The First Exchange (3:37)
12. Formidable Monster (4:08)
13. Battle Stations (3:58)
14. Manifest Fire (3:43)
15. Beth (4:04)
16. My Name is Harry (3:18)
17. Manifest³ (3:43)
18. To the Surface (2:11)
19. The Gift (1:43)

Total Running Time: 58:51

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