Confirming months of rumor and speculation, Varese Sarabande Records has announced the full specifications for a lavish box set version of the music to Alex North's score to the classic sword-and-sandal epic Spartacus.

The honchos at Varese weren't kidding; the venerable score label's latest limited release (the 1000th to be produced by longtime producer Robert Townson) is easily the largest set ever devoted to a single film score. A jaw-dropping six CDs and a DVD make up the set, featuring the entire film score in monaural sound, all the surviving stereo mixes of the music, 22 preliminary, alternate or unused cues and two discs of reinterpretations of the film's love theme led by some of the most successful composers in film (and a few other musical luminaries, as well). The DVD includes eight unedited conversations with film music luminaries about the significance of North's career. The set also comes with a 168-page, hardcover book featuring detailed analysis on the score, film and composer.

Orders are being taken for this set, priced at $109.98 and limited to 5,000 copies. Get it through the label's official site here (it's expected to ship in August) and hit the jump to take a look at the enormity of this set.Alex North, Spartacus (Varese Sarabande VCL 0610 0019, 2010 - original film released 1960)

Disc 1 - Spartacus in Stereo

1. Overture - 4:00
2. Main Title - 3:17 *
3. The Mines - 3:01
4. Caravan - 1:15
5. First Pair - 3:44
6. Gladiators Fight to the Death - 2:20 *
7. Brooding - 2:20
8. On to Vesuvius (Forward, Gladiators/Forest Meeting) - 4:52 *
9. Oysters and Snails (Film Version) - 3:07
10. Hopeful Preparations/Vesuvius Camp - 1:59 *
11. Vesuvius Montage - 1:19
12. Blue Shadows and Purple Hills - 3:11 *
13. Headed for Freedom - 3:15 *
14. Homeward Bound (On to the Sea/Beside the Pool) - 6:27 *
15. Metapontum Triumph - 1:35
16. Festival - 3:21
17. Expectant Parents - 3:07
18. Prelude to Battle (Quiet Interlude/The Final Conflict) - 5:11 *
19. Formations - 1:35
20. Goodbye My Life, My Love -- End Title - 4:16 *
21. Spartacus Love Theme - 2:50 *
22. On to the Sea/Infant Burial - 3:03
23. Oysters and Snails/Festival (Album Version) - 3:24 *

* cues from the original Spartacus soundtrack LP (Decca DL-9092, 1960)

Disc 2 - Spartacus in Mono (Part 1)

1. Overture - 3:59
2. Main Title - 3:41
3. The Mines - 3:00
4. Caravan - 1:17
5. Varinia's Theme - 3:15
6. Training the Gladiators - 1:29
7. Painting - 1:26
8. Spartacus' Cell - 1:37
9. Kitchen - 1:36
10. Training the Gladiators - 0:37
11. Kitchen #2- 0:48
12. Crassus - 0:51
13. Source Music #2 - 2:36
14. Source Music #1 - 3:30
15. First Pair - 3:38
16. Draba Fight - 2:49
17. Kill - 1:12
18. Brooding - 2:18
19. Revolt - 1:16
20. The Breakout - 2:08
21. Slaves Escape - 0:47
22. Crassus' Home - 0:37
23. Deserted School - 1:55
24. Forest Meeting - 4:50
25. Oysters and Snails - 3:03
26. Vesuvius Camp - 1:59
27. New Recruits - 1:51
28. Glabrus March - 0:24
29. Vesuvius Montage - 1:19
30. Poem - 1:27
31. Love Sequence - 3:10
32. Glabrus Defeated - 3:40
33. Glabrus Disgraced - 1:44

Disc 3 - Spartacus in Mono (Part 2)

1. Entr'acte - 2:21
2. On to the Sea - 3:07
3. Luciera Camp - 0:42
4. Beside the Pool - 2:28
5. Dusty March - 0:31
6. Metapontum Triumph - 1:33
7. Roman Baths - 1:46
8. Arrival at the Beach - 0:59
9. Festival - 3:20
10. Sound the Trumpet - 0:31
11. Crassus' Legions - 0:41
12. Back from the Sea - 0:30
13. Crassus' Camp - 0:48
14. Camp at Night - 2:19
15. Expectant Parents - 3:10
16. Maneuvers - 3:14
17. Formations - 1:30
18. The Battle - 4:09
19. Desolation Elegy - 2:05
20. I am Spartacus - 3:14
21. Recognition and Crucifixion March - 2:46
22. Night Crucifixion - 0:35
23. Varinia and Crassus - 4:59
24. Fear of Death - 3:22
25. Spartacus Defies Crassus - 2:17
26. The Last Fight - 4:47
27. Final Farewell and End Title - 4:17
28. Exit Music - 2:48

Disc 4 - Alternate, Preliminary and Unused Cues (Mono)

1. Overture (Unused) - 4:02
2. Main Title (Alternate) - 3:33
3. Gladiator Selection (Unused) - 2:31
4. Kitchen #1 (Alternate) - 1:55
5. On to the Sea (Alternate) - 2:58
6. Infant Burial (Alternate) - 0:47
7. End of Act I (Alternate) - 1:06
8. Festival (Alternate) - 1:50
9. Sound The Trumpet (Alternate) - 0:23
10. Spartacus March - 0:34
11. Spartacus March (Alternate Ending) - 0:18
12. Spartacus Fanfare - 0:13
13. Fear of Death (Alternate) - 3:26
14. Training the Gladiators/Painting (Preliminary) - 2:45
15. Training the Gladiators (Preliminary) - 2:37
16. Training the Gladiators #2 (Preliminary) - 0:37
17. Brooding (Preliminary) - 3:06
18. Revolt (Preliminary) - 0:28
19. Festival (Preliminary) - 0:51
20. Spartacus Love Theme (Preliminary) - 3:05
21. Desolation Elegy (Preliminary) - 3:29
22. Crucifixion March (Preliminary) - 2:05

Disc 5 - Spartacus: Love Theme and Variations (Part 1)

1. Bill Evans - 5:09
2. Yusef Lateef - 4:11
3. Mark Isham - 11:09
4. Dave Grusin - 2:53
5. Nathan Barr and Lisbeth Scott - 5:08
6. Carlos Santana - 6:48
7. Terry Callier - 4:28
8. Patrick Doyle - 5:01
9. Joel McNeely - 2:27
10. Lalo Schifrin - 5:17
11. The Ramsey Lewis Trio - 7:12

Disc 6 - Spartacus: Love Theme and Variations

1. Bill Evans and Jeremy Steig - 5:00
2. Alexandre Desplat - 2:36
3. Regina Carter - 6:21
4. Diego Navarro - 3:54
5. Gábor Szabó - 3:13
6. John Debney - 4:45
7. Brian Tyler - 7:08
8. Randy Edelman - 3:49
9. Richard Stoltzman - 4:49
10. John Neufeld and Marty Krystall - 4:01
11. Eric Stern and The London Symphony Orchestra - 4:14

Disc 7 - DVD

Featuring new conversations about Alex North and Spartacus with:

1. Alexandre Desplat
2. Mark Isham
3. David Newman
4. Lalo Schifrin
5. Robert Townson
6. Brian Tyler
7. John Williams
8. Christopher Young

And bonus recording session footage with Mark Isham and Diego Navarro