Wes Anderson’s films wouldn’t be complete without the songs that punctuate — and encompass — them. But the director doesn’t choose
his soundtracks alone. His right-hand man when it comes to such decisions is Search Party Music founder Randall Poster — they’ve worked together
since the Rushmore days 17 years ago. For Anderson’s latest, The Grand Budapest Hotel, which opens today and takes place in the fictional Eastern European
nation of Zubrowka, they “talked to people in Switzerland who were experts in yodeling and searched through music in Germany and Switzerland and Hungary and Czech Republic,” Randall told NME in a recent interview. Ultimately, with the help of French composer Alexandre Desplat, they ended up creating mostly original works for the soundtrack, which centers around the Balalaika, a three-stringed Russian folk instrument. “We brought about 25 Russian Balalaika players to Paris and merged them with about 20 French Balalaika players and had this Balalaika super-group that we recorded,” said Randall.

Learn more about Randall’s work on the film and his career in the full NME interview here.
Listen to the complete soundtrack for The Grand Budapest Hotel on Spotify now.

Playlist

1. s’Rothe-Zäuerli — Öse Schuppel
2. The Alpine Sudetenwaltz — Alexandre Desplat
3. Mr. Moustafa — Alexandre Desplat
4. Overture: M. Gustave H — Alexandre Desplat
5. A Prayer for Madame D — Alexandre Desplat
6. The New Lobby Boy — Alexandre Desplat
7. Concerto for Lute and Plucked Strings I. Moderato — Siegfried Behrend & DZO Chamber Orchestra
8. Daylight Express to Lutz — Alexandre Desplat
9. Schloss Lutz Overture — Alexandre Desplat
10. The Family Desgoffe und Taxis — Alexandre Desplat
11. Last Will and Testament — Alexandre Desplat
12. Up the Stairs/Down the Hall — Alexandre Desplat
13. Night Train to Nebelsbad — Alexandre Desplat
14. The Lutz Police Militia — Alexandre Desplat
15. Check Point 19 Criminal Internment Camp Overture — Alexandre Desplat
16. The Linden Tree — Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra, Vitaly Gnutov
17. J.G. Jopling, Private Inquiry Agent — Alexandre Desplat
18. A Dash of Salt (Ludwig’s Theme) — Alexandre Desplat
19. The Cold-Blooded Murder of Deputy Vilmos Kovacs — Alexandre Desplat
20. Escape Concerto — Alexandre Desplat
21. The War (Zero’s Theme) — Alexandre Desplat
22. No Safe-House — Alexandre Desplat
23. The Society of the Crossed Keys — Alexandre Desplat
24. M. Ivan — Alexandre Desplat
25. Lot 117 — Alexandre Desplat
26. Third Class Carriage — Alexandre Desplat
27. Canto at Gabelmeister’s Peak — Alexandre Desplat
28. A Troops Barracks (Requiem for The Grand Budapest) — Alexandre Desplat
29. Cleared of All Charges — Alexandre Desplat
30. The Mystical Union — Alexandre Desplat
31. Kamarinskaya — Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra, Vitaly Gnutov
32. Traditional Arrangement: “Moonshine” — Alexandre Desplat

Download the full playlist on iTunes.