More than any other contemporary director (by our estimation), Wes Anderson has the ability (with the help of soundtrack supervisor Randall Poster and score writer Mark Mothersbaugh) to construct the perfect soundtrack for a film. These are the (contemporary) artists of The Royal Tenenbaums (classical pieces have been excluded for obvious reasons)...

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"This movie was my third experience with the composer Mark Mothersbaugh, and I have come to look forward to this phase of the film-making process very much. Mark works in a large, round, fluorescent green building on Sunset Boulevard which strongly resembles a flying saucer, and he is surrounded by a highly complex staff. Dan Ping manages the finances, and always seems to be just returning from the desert (where he attends rituals of some kind) with a radically new hairstyle. Bob Casale, one of Mark's Devo colleagues, engineers the recording sessions with the confidence of someone who has had beer bottles thrown at him onstage, and who has thrown them back. There is also John, who resembles a young Bob Dylan; Albert who was married (and divorced) twice to the same girl by age 27; Van, Stacy, Michelle, plus Mark's restauranteur friend Friend, his friend/agent Anita, and brother Bob, who is usually seen sitting on the curb outside the studio smoking a cigar and reading the business section of the L.A. Times. The operation is known as Mutato Muzika, which I think is Esperanto, and it provides a very stimulating creative atmosphere. Our music supervisor Randy Poster describes Mark's music as "charmed, magical, and sort of innocent," and I think that also describes the felling you get when you work with Mark in his studio. I hope you enjoy the record."

(signed) Wes Anderson

"Stephanie Says" by the Velvet Underground

"Everyone" by Van Morrison

* note: These artists are featured in other films of Wes Anderson. Mark Mothersbaugh has written the original scores for all of Wes Anderson's films.

Classical Music

"String Quartet in F Major" (plays during player introductions)
Written by Maurice Ravel
Performed by Ysaye Quartet

"Sonata For Cello & Piano In F Minor"
Written by George Enescu

"Gymnopedie #1"
Written by Erik Satie
Performed by Aldo Ciccolini

"Concerto per Liuto E Mandolino"
Written by Antonin Vivaldi
Performed by Il Giardino Armonico

The Royal Tenenbaums soundtrack