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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

1. Introduction
2. Prelude – Part 1/Prelude – Part 2
3. Slaughter of the Newborn/In the Bulrushes/Bithia’s Bathing Float
4. Moses (Long Version)
5. Nefretiti/Fanfares/Return of the Conqueror/Drums and Percussion/Fanfare
6. Ethiopians/Drums
7. Fanfare/Moses and Nefretiti/New City Underway
8. The Advancing Keystone/Mercy and a Tomb of Rock
9. Temple Grain (Final Film Version)
10. Hounds and Jackals
11. Moses the Builder – Part 1/Fanfare/Moses the Builder – Part 2
12. Obelisk
13. The Glory of Goshen
14. Harp for Nefretiti
15. Memnet’s Murder
16. The Brick Pits
17. Death in the Brick Pits
18. Intro to Royal Barge/The Royal Barge
19. The Die is Cast – Part 1/The Die is Cast – Part 2
20. Court Dance
21. Take Him Away
22. Drums/The Dungeon
23. Nathan’s Garden
24. Lilia’s Harp/Dathan Bribes Lilia
25. Egyptian Border/Moses Crosses Desert

1. Song for Jethro’s Daughters
2. Defending the Well
3. Mountain of God
4. Jethro’s Daughters’ Dance
5. Moses Chooses Sephora
6. Sethi’s Death Chant/Royal Falcon
7. Burning Bush
8. Organ (I Am That I Am)
9. Word of God (End Act 1)
10. Overture – Act 2 (Part A)/Overture – Act 2 (Part B)
11. The Power of God – Part 1/The Power of God – Part 2
12. Well of Strangers/Royal Barge (Revised)
13. Joshua and Lilia/The Shrine of the River Gods
14. The Red River
15. God of Slaves
16. Lilia’s Song/Lilia’s Song (Harp Chord)
17. Pestilence
18. Shadow of Death
19. The Dying Boy
20. Lord of the Underworld
21. Shofars/Exodus – Part 1/Dathan’s House/Nubian Drums/Exodus – Part 2
22. Fanfare (Alternate No.1 )
23. Fanfare (Alternate No. 2)
24. Fanfare
25. Exodus – Part 3
26. Death Gongs
27. A Hardened Heart/Fanfare/Chariot Assembly/Ready for Battle Fanfares
28. Mission of Vengeance
29. Shofars & Fanfares
30. Pillar of FIre/The Red Sea – Parts 1, 2 & 3
31. The Red Sea – Part 4

Disc 3: Music from the Motion Picture and Extras

1. Mount Sinai
2. Spoils of Egypt/Idolators (Bacchanal)/Forming of Golden Idol
3. The Finger of God/Golden Idol/Idol Sacrifice/Idolators (Bacchanal)/Bacchanal/Shofar
4. The Lord’s Side/End Title
5. Exit Music – Part 1/Exit Music – Part 2
6. Moses (Alternate)
7. Moses and Nefretiti (Alternate)/New City Underway (Alternate)
8. Temple Grain (Alternate)
9. Memnet’s Murder (Alternate)
10. Memnet’s Murder (Revised)
11. The Royal Barge (Alternate)
12. Court Dance (Alternate)
13. Baccha’s Garden No. 1
14. Baccha’s Garden No. 2
15. Baccha’s Garden No. 3
16. Song for Jethro’s Daughters (Alternate)
17. Defending the Well (Alternate – Long)
18. Jethro’s Daughters’ Dance (Alternate)
19. Exodus – Part 3 (Short Version)
20. Shofars & Fanfares (Alternates)
21. Exit Music – Part 2 (Alternate)
22. The Red Sea – Part 3/Song of Joseph (Film Edit)
23. The Red Sea – Part 4 (Early Version)
24. Exodus (Early Version)
25. The Lord’s Side (Brass)
26. The Royal Barge (Short Source Alternate)
27. Tiple (Wlid)
28. Drums No. 1 (Wild)
29. Drums No. 2 (Wild)
30. The Finger of God – Part 1 (Early Version)
31. Trailer No. 1
32. Trailer No. 2
33. 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)

1. Prelude
2. In the Bulrushes
3. The Bitter Life
4. Love and Ambition
5. The Hard Bondage
6. Egyptian Dance
7. The Crucible of God
8. And Moses Watered Jethro’s Flock
9. Bedouin Dance
10. I Am That I Am
11. Overture
12. Thus Says The Lord
13. The Plagues
14. The Exodus
15. The Pillar of Fire
16. The Red Sea
17. The Ten Commandments
18. Go, Proclaim Liberty!

Disc 6: Elmer Bernstein Conducts His Motion Picture Score from The Ten Commandments (United Artists LA 304-G, 1966)

1. Overture Act I
2. Nefretiti
3. Court Dance
4. Sephora
5. The Burning Bush
6. Overture Act II
7. The Exodus
8. Dance of Jethro’s Daughters
9. The Red Sea
10. Finale