The musical score for The Silence of the Lambs was composed by Howard Shore, who would also go on to collaborate with Demme on Philadelphia. Recorded in Munich during the latter half of the summer of 1990, the score was performed by the Munich Symphony Orchestra. "I tried to write in a way that goes right into the fabric of the movie," explained Shore on his approach. "I tried to make the music just fit in. When you watch the movie you are not aware of the music. You get your feelings from all elements simultaneously, lighting, cinematography, costumes, acting, music. Jonathan Demme was very specific about the music." A soundtrack album was released by MCA Records on February 5, 1991. Music from the film was later used in the trailers for its sequel, Hannibal.
The tune played by the music box which Starling finds in the bedroom of Buffalo Bill's first victim is taken from Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. It is, ironically, the tune played by Papageno's magical bells, which charms his enemies and protects him from danger.
Track:
1. "Main Title"
2. "The Asylum"
3. "Clarice"
4. "Return to the Asylum"
5. "The Abduction"
6. "Quid Pro Quo"
7. "Lecter in Memphis"
8. "Lambs Screaming"
9. "Lecter Escapes"
10. "Belvedere, Ohio"
11. "The Moth"
12. "The Cellar"
13. "Finale"
