Page - 95 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 05/01

of Jesus and that of the priests. What emerges from the dialogues is an aware- ness of a clear separation, expressed in reciprocal condemnations and verbal criticisms and in a very polarized division. This musical theme signals the increas- ingly tense confrontation between the two sides. The next two musical motifs can be dealt with together, as they are from the same work by Bach, the St. Matthew Passion BWV 244, which sets the final part of Matthew’s Gospel to music. The pieces in question are the arias “Erbarme dich, mein Gott” (Have mercy, my God!) and “Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder” (We sit down in tears). The theme of intertextuality is particularly prominent here: we have a film representation which, in order to transpose Matthew’s Gospel narrative, draws on a musical transposition of the same text. Given what we know about Pasolini’s passion for Bach, it was inevitable that this work would find its way into the film, and indeed the second aria had already been used in Accattone. Though Bach’s work was certainly not the only Baroque transposition of the Passion, it is particularly interesting for its compositional care and choral ac- companiment. The text on which Bach based his work was Luther’s translation of the Gospel, while the vocal parts were written by Picander, one of the most important librettists of Bach’s works.20 The first aria, “Erbarme dich, mein Gott”, is, as the title says, a plea for mercy. It is one of the most moving pieces in the film, marking five scenes according to different meanings of “mercy”. The first is found in the 10 scenes characterized by Jesus addressing the disciples. With respect to all the others, it is the only one of the ten with a musical theme, and the textual reference is Matthew 6:25–34 (when Jesus talks about the lilies). Jesus invites reflection on the mercy of God, which is dispensed freely to those who believe in him. But if here it is a gift, in the second scene it becomes a request. The rigid and implacable behaviour of the Pharisees places the Law of Moses before what is good, as in Matthew 12:7. In the encounter with the rich young man, Jesus is moved to mercy by the man’s inability to forego material goods, by how shackled he is to his own wealth. The fourth scene takes place on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus predicts that Peter will forsake him and then goes to pray. Mercy returns here as a request and in the behaviour of Jesus towards the physical and spiritual weakness of his disciples. Finally, linking back to the previous scene, the last person to ask for mercy is Peter, when he runs away having denied his master. In the opening credits, the Gloria is followed by another theme, “Wir set- zen uns mit Tränen”. For those who know Pasolini’s work well, this is nothing 20 A pseudonym of Christian Friedrich Henrici (1700–1764), who after studying law began to write poetry and compositions. He worked together with Bach at least from 1725, after the latter moved to Leipzig, becoming his trusted librettist. The Soundscape of The Gospel According to St. Matthew | 95www.jrfm.eu 2019, 5/1