So Let It Be Written: Intrada Announces "Ten Commandments" Box

We're continuing our Movie Monday here at The Second Disc with more great film score news!

From high atop the mountain comes Intrada's newest release--an incredibly ambitious and definitive box set edition of Elmer Bernstein's score to the Hollywood epic The Ten Commandments.

The final film of Cecil B. DeMille, based in part on his silent adaptation of the film from 1923, The Ten Commandments dramatizes the Biblical tale of Moses (Charlton Heston), the adopted Egyptian prince whose divine mission is to lead the enslaved Hebrews to the promised land. Featuring Yul Brynner as Moses' brother, the pharaoh Rameses II; Anne Baxter as Nefretiti and Edward G. Robinson as Dathan, an overseer of the Hebrews, The Ten Commandments was elaborate in every way. The film was shot on location in Egypt and on Mount Sinai and boasted incredible special effects, particularly for Moses' pivotal parting of the Red Sea. Not even a nearly four-hour running time could deter the public's adoration of the film, then (it was the highest-grossing picture of 1956 and was nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture) or now (a 40-year-plus staple of ABC during the Passover and Easter holidays).

For Bernstein, his 10th feature film score was easily his most epic yet. The New York City-born composer was something of a Renaissance man (dancing and acting as a child, as well as a teenage concert pianist who was encouraged by Aaron Copland) and a persistent survivor (at one point subsisting on B-movie score assignments after contributing reviews to a left-leaning paper earned him heat in Hollywood, despite not being a member of the Communist Party). Bernstein stepped into the role of composer for The Ten Commandments after Victor Young pulled out due to ill health, and took the project on for a year and a half, composing his Oscar-nominated jazz score to The Man with the Golden Arm along the way. His Ten Commandments score sounds suitably epic and authentic, approximating Old Testament-era musical customs down to the use of authentic shofars!

A film this epic deserves a soundtrack presentation to match--and for the first time, Intrada's honoring The Ten Commandments the way it was meant to be. Three discs include, for the first time (and nearly entirely in stereo), the two and a half hour score as heard in the film. Then there's nearly 45 minutes of bonus alternate and early versions of cues, also never before heard and capped with an amazing find: 12 minutes of theme demos, recorded by Bernstein on piano!

But that isn't all: another three disc prepare remastered versions of the film's original soundtrack reissues from their original master tapes. First, there's the original 1957 hour-long album in mono, as released by Dot Records; followed by a 1960 re-recording by Bernstein in stereo--and then, for the first time on CD, a third recording for United Artists Records under the baton of Bernstein featuring new arrangements by longtime orchestrators Leo Shaken and Jack Hayes. An accompanying 60-page book features detailed liner notes by writer Frank K. DeWald, rare images (including production artwork) and session information. The packages (an oversized butterfly jewel box for the three score discs and individual jewel cases replicating the original album artwork) all come in a box fit for a tablet--or two!

This incredible box is available now from Intrada--check out the full specs below!

Elmer Bernstein, Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments: 60th Anniversary Soundtrack Collection (Intrada 7147, 2016 - original film released 1956)

Discs 1-2: Music from the Motion Picture

Introduction
Prelude - Part 1/Prelude - Part 2
Slaughter of the Newborn/In the Bulrushes/Bithia's Bathing Float
Moses (Long Version)
Nefretiti/Fanfares/Return of the Conqueror/Drums and Percussion/Fanfare
Ethiopians/Drums
Fanfare/Moses and Nefretiti/New City Underway
The Advancing Keystone/Mercy and a Tomb of Rock
Temple Grain (Final Film Version)
Hounds and Jackals
Moses the Builder - Part 1/Fanfare/Moses the Builder - Part 2
Obelisk
The Glory of Goshen
Harp for Nefretiti
Memnet's Murder
The Brick Pits
Death in the Brick Pits
Intro to Royal Barge/The Royal Barge
The Die is Cast - Part 1/The Die is Cast - Part 2
Court Dance
Take Him Away
Drums/The Dungeon
Nathan's Garden
Lilia's Harp/Dathan Bribes Lilia
Egyptian Border/Moses Crosses Desert

Song for Jethro's Daughters
Defending the Well
Mountain of God
Jethro's Daughters' Dance
Moses Chooses Sephora
Sethi's Death Chant/Royal Falcon
Burning Bush
Organ (I Am That I Am)
Word of God (End Act 1)
Overture - Act 2 (Part A)/Overture - Act 2 (Part B)
The Power of God - Part 1/The Power of God - Part 2
Well of Strangers/Royal Barge (Revised)
Joshua and Lilia/The Shrine of the River Gods
The Red River
God of Slaves
Lilia's Song/Lilia's Song (Harp Chord)
Pestilence
Shadow of Death
The Dying Boy
Lord of the Underworld
Shofars/Exodus - Part 1/Dathan's House/Nubian Drums/Exodus - Part 2
Fanfare (Alternate No.1 )
Fanfare (Alternate No. 2)
Fanfare
Exodus - Part 3
Death Gongs
A Hardened Heart/Fanfare/Chariot Assembly/Ready for Battle Fanfares
Mission of Vengeance
Shofars & Fanfares
Pillar of FIre/The Red Sea - Parts 1, 2 & 3
The Red Sea - Part 4

Disc 3: Music from the Motion Picture and Extras

Mount Sinai
Spoils of Egypt/Idolators (Bacchanal)/Forming of Golden Idol
The Finger of God/Golden Idol/Idol Sacrifice/Idolators (Bacchanal)/Bacchanal/Shofar
The Lord's Side/End Title
Exit Music - Part 1/Exit Music - Part 2
Moses (Alternate)
Moses and Nefretiti (Alternate)/New City Underway (Alternate)
Temple Grain (Alternate)
Memnet's Murder (Alternate)
Memnet's Murder (Revised)
The Royal Barge (Alternate)
Court Dance (Alternate)
Baccha's Garden No. 1
Baccha's Garden No. 2
Baccha's Garden No. 3
Song for Jethro's Daughters (Alternate)
Defending the Well (Alternate - Long)
Jethro's Daughters' Dance (Alternate)
Exodus - Part 3 (Short Version)
Shofars & Fanfares (Alternates)
Exit Music - Part 2 (Alternate)
The Red Sea - Part 3/Song of Joseph (Film Edit)
The Red Sea - Part 4 (Early Version)
Exodus (Early Version)
The Lord's Side (Brass)
The Royal Barge (Short Source Alternate)
Tiple (Wlid)
Drums No. 1 (Wild)
Drums No. 2 (Wild)
The Finger of God - Part 1 (Early Version)
Trailer No. 1
Trailer No. 2
Elmer Bernstein's Original Piano Theme Demos: Theme of Egypt/Nefretiti's Theme/Bithia's Theme/Hebrew Theme/Theme of Moses/Possible Short Identifying Themes for Moses/Sephora-Bedouin Theme/Song of Joseph - Exodus Anthem/Joshua-Lilia Love Theme/Joshua-Lilia Love Theme in a Major Key/Theme of God/Theme of Evil

Discs 4-5: Music from the Sound Track of Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments (DOT Records DLP-3054-D (mono), 1957 and DLP 25054-D (stereo), 1960)