The Neverending Story OST – Klaus Doldinger & Giorgio Moroder – Film Soundtrack Review

Two Composers. Two Directions.

The NeverEnding Story (1984) carries two distinct musical fingerprints: Klaus Doldinger’s lush orchestral score and Giorgio Moroder’s sleek, synth-driven contributions. The producers didn’t choose one style. They used both, splitting the score by market. Doldinger’s work dominates the German release. Moroder’s additions were layered into the international version, particularly for North America and the UK.

That split wasn’t an afterthought—it was a business move. The film’s German roots clashed with Hollywood’s need for mainstream appeal. Doldinger, known for Das Boot, scored the film in Munich using traditional orchestral arrangements. He leaned into emotional depth and fantasy tropes with sweeping strings and brass-heavy cues. His approach framed the story as mythic and ancient.

Then came Moroder.

Producer Bernd Eichinger wanted a global hit, not just a European fantasy. He brought in Giorgio Moroder to modernize the sound. Moroder, fresh off Flashdance and Scarface, delivered synthesizer-based tracks aimed squarely at 1980s pop audiences. The contrast was intentional. Doldinger handled the story’s heart. Moroder gave it style.

The Title Track and 1980s Pop Culture

If you’re reading this, you already know the song. “The NeverEnding Story” performed by Limahl (with Beth Andersen providing uncredited vocals) turned a German-language fantasy film into a pop culture event. Released as a single in 1984, it reached the Top 10 in the UK, Canada, and several European countries. In the U.S., it peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Moroder wrote and produced the song in Los Angeles using his standard arsenal of analog synths, including the Roland Jupiter-8 and Yamaha CS-80. His arrangement moves fast: gated reverb snares, arpeggiated basslines, and synthetic strings all built for radio. It clocks in at under four minutes. Nothing about it asks for patience.

The song never appears in the German version of the film.

That division created confusion over time. Many viewers grew up thinking the Moroder themes were integral to the film’s score, only to discover years later that Doldinger’s orchestral score dominated the original cut. You’ll notice the shift immediately if you compare the two. Moroder’s cues replace several of Doldinger’s character themes and ambient textures. Scenes feel faster and brighter in the English-language cut. The tension in Fantasia gives way to pop polish.

Klaus Doldinger recorded the score at Bavaria Studios with the Munich Philharmonic. His cues play like classical European film music – heavy on leitmotif, light on flash. The “Theme of Fantasia” builds with slow crescendos and woodwind flourishes. “Ivory Tower” brings a sense of scale without relying on synthesizers or bombast. These aren’t cues for a soundtrack album- they’re cues for the world inside the film.

Doldinger used live strings, horns, and percussion throughout. No overdubbing tricks. No quantized edits. The mix emphasizes warmth over clarity, which worked for 70mm theatrical presentations but gets muddy in home video formats. The original German release still offers the best audio fidelity for his cues, especially in remastered Blu-rays.

Have you ever wondered why some scenes feel heavier when you watch the German version? Doldinger’s cues slow things down. The Swamps of Sadness sequence hits harder when it’s framed by mournful cello lines instead of Moroder’s suspended synth pads. The pacing doesn’t shift arbitrarily. The score controls it.

Both composers worked independently. Doldinger never collaborated directly with Moroder. They weren’t even in the same country. That separation caused tension behind the scenes. Doldinger didn’t hide his frustration in interviews. He believed his score fit the film better. Moroder treated the assignment like a remix project—take what’s there, apply a sheen, and package it for a different audience.

The producers sided with Moroder for the international release. You can hear it in the way certain cues get replaced with synthesizer textures. Even the orchestral cues that remained were re-edited or layered with electronic flourishes.

And yet both soundtracks survive. The original Doldinger cues were eventually released in Germany on CD, though much of the material remained hard to find outside Europe for years. Fans traded bootlegs and VHS rips until official expanded editions appeared in the 2000s. Moroder’s contributions – especially the title track – have been readily available since 1984, including on vinyl and streaming platforms.

The Legacy of a Split Score

This isn’t a case of one composer getting it right. It’s a case of two different answers to the same problem: How do you score a fantasy film for kids that also has existential dread baked into the plot?

Doldinger’s version says: slow down, take it seriously, and let the world breathe.
Moroder’s version says: keep the kids from switching channels.

Do you prefer the somber orchestral weight or the neon pop gloss? The soundtrack you grew up with probably determines your answer. The same scene can feel sad, magical, or cloying depending on the cue underneath it.

Try watching the film with both scores. Notice how your perception of Atreyu shifts. Notice how the ending either lands with triumph or syrup. Ask yourself: does a fantasy need urgency, or does it need silence?

The most complete release of Doldinger’s score came in the form of Die Unendliche Geschichte – Das Original-Hörspiel, which included extended tracks and alternate takes. Moroder’s work saw reissues on both cassette and LP, with digital remasters arriving in the 2010s. No official release has ever combined the full Doldinger and Moroder scores into one album. You’ll need to curate that mix yourself.

Both composers brought a level of craft that stuck. Decades later, “The NeverEnding Story” saw renewed life in shows like Stranger Things. Meanwhile, Doldinger continues to work in film and jazz without fanfare. Moroder made the film catchy. Doldinger made it timeless. Which one you hear first probably says more about you than the film.