Film score soundtracks form a small percentage of my music library. I may pick up a score once every two or three years when I feel a strong connection with a particular piece I hear in a film. When I pick up a film score, it is usually with severe trepidation that the piece of music that moved me in the first place is not even on the record.
Interstellar hit theaters November 7th and when I walked out of the theater opening weekend, I ordered the score by Hans Zimmer on my phone. Looking back over the past 15 years, the majority of the soundtracks I have picked up have been by Hans Zimmer ranging from Gladiator (with Dead Can Dance's Lisa Gerrard) and Hannibal to the more recent The Dark Knight/The Dark Knight Rises sequels and Man Of Steel.
The initial CD release of Interstellar contains 16 tracks from the film's score. I found out later the digital version has 24 tracks. A few weeks later, I ran across an article mentioning this extended 28 track boxed set was available for pre-order online. The pre-order stated to allow 8-10 weeks for delivery so I waited. After a little over a month, the box arrived.
The box contains a second disc featuring even more music than the digital download, an extended booklet, and a flashing constellation with a coded message.
As I waited for this to arrive, there were a lot of folks clamoring online for the music used during a docking scene that had been omitted from the CD and digital versions. When I saw the film a second time, I really took notice of that piece in the film and wondered how such a powerful part of the score was left off of the releases.
At first glance, the docking music was not on this boxed set either, but the second disc does have an unlisted 13th track containing this missing piece raising the total to 29 tracks. The piece is titled "No Time For Caution" according to Hans Zimmer's Facebook. The track has now been added to the digital edition as well. Disc one is the same 16 tracks on the original single CD release.
I will not give away the code used or the message the stars convey. The constellation cutout can be removed to expose the LEDS, wiring, and two AA batteries. The box closes tight with a set of magnets and there is a small switch that turns off the lights - similar to a refrigerator.
Now, to the music. The interesting color to the Interstellar film score is the pipe organ. I had never realized how earth-rumbling a pipe organ can be. This score can really test the limits of your sound system.
Before Christopher Nolan told Hans Zimmer anything about his next film project, he did an experiment. Nolan wrote a note to Zimmer and asked him to spend a day writing a piece to reflect the written words. The note did not mention space travel or anything that would reveal the science fiction epic Interstellar would become. This piece was entitled "Day One" and became the main theme throughout the film. I believe the note presented the premise that a father had to leave his young son and would not know how many months or years he would be away. The final version of "Day One" is on disc one and the demo is on disc two.
There are three standout tracks I would recommend for the curious to listen to.
"Stay" is an emotional piece of music that builds to a heart wrenching climax and if you are familiar with the film, then you will instantly know what has just happened. "No Time For Caution," a last minute addition to this set it seems, builds increasing layers of tension. The piece seems too short leaving you wanting the crescendo to keep going. "Mountains" is my favorite piece on the album. The corresponding part in the film is a grandiose scene you have to see on a big theater screen to truly share the sense of awe the onscreen protagonists must feel as they see what you see. The sliding bass noise gets me every time. I am not sure what instrument is making that noise, but it invokes the sense of bewilderment that matches the jaw-gaping visuals of the film.
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