Label Description: This boxset contains the original soundtracks to the five core works of Andrei Tarkovsky, the master of Soviet cinema: “Ivan’s Childhood”, “Andrei Roublev”, “Solaris”, “Mirror”, and “Stalker”.

The works by Eduard Artemyev and Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov may sound imperfect to the modern ear, but have been sympathetically remastered and presented as close as possible to how striking they would have sounded to audiences at the original film presentations.

Deluxe matt-laminate boxset containing 5 x CDs in individually-printed card sleeves. Each album is accompanied by an artcard featuring the original Soviet / Japanese cinema posters on its release.

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Vol 1: IVAN’S CHILDHOOD
The haunting soundtrack for Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1962 film “Ivan’s Childhood” (Иваново детство) was composed by the prolific Soviet composer Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov. It features a deeply romantic yet sorrowful 5-note leitmotif that captures the poignancy of innocence lost in war. Ovchinnikov’s sweeping score relies on romantic idioms to contrast the harsh realities of the Eastern Front with Ivan’s nostalgic, dream-like flashbacks.

Vol 2: ANDREI ROUBLEV
The soundtrack for the 1966 masterpiece “Andrei Roublev” (Андрей Рублёв) was also composed by Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov. The sweeping, evocative score is deeply intertwined with the film’s religious and historical themes, with its profound, choral-heavy resonance that perfectly accompanies the film’s exploration of faith, art, and Russian history. The composer collaborated closely with Tarkovsky to create a score that captures the raw, earthy reality of 15th-century Russia while elevating the film’s stunning visual language.

Vol 3: SOLARIS
Eduard Artemyev’s score for Tarkovsky’s 1972 sci-fi masterpiece “Solaris” (Солярис) is a ground-breaking work of early electronic music. With Tarkovsky envisioning an ambient / mechanical soundscape, Artemyev’s futuristic takes on Bach’s organ works are combined with haunting, abstract synthesizer drones and environmental noise, all crafted on the famed ANS synthesizer. At atmospheric, dreamlike score that perfectly mirrors the psychological themes of the film.

Vol 4: MIRROR
Eduard Artemyev’s magnificent soundtrack to Tarkovsky’s 1975 film “Mirror” (Зеркало) is the natural follow-up to “Solaris”. Dense, slow-moving, and often disorienting mood pieces with Baroque sensibilities resonate beyond the film’s dream-like images. A combination of monolithic scale and pastoral melody makes the music so intriguing, lush and unique.

Vol 5: STALKER
For “Stalker” (Сталкер), the third part of Tarkovsky’s science fiction trilogy, Eduard Artemyev was inspired by Indian classical music and employed eerie layers of synth tones, flute, harpsichord, and tar (Iranian stringed instrument), as well as choirs, to create a central theme as spellbinding as The Zone, a setting in the film where laws of physics no longer apply. Achingly beautiful.

Mastered by Martin Bowes
Graphic Design by Abby Helasdottir

Licensed from TMP Ltd