~ Jesus Christ Superstar Original Cast ~
The Last Supper
~ The Movie Soundtrack ~
We all get a chuckle at the chorus with the line, “Then when we retire, we can write the Gospels.” It has the simplicity of Bach. Jesus enters with a recitative containing the words of the Consecration, which are stated in frustration and admonition, accompanied only by a piano and a pair of bassoons. The aria begins with the music from the middle of “Everything’s Alright” in 5/4, but nothing is right, and the orchestra illustrates the chaos. Judas turns it into a duet, but the Apostles take up the opening chorus in 2/2 to relieve the tension between the antagonists. It doesn’t work. Judas goes on the warpath, and Jesus orders him out. In a flash-forward, Judas takes up the opening of his big aria that comes later, but ends it with a scream of frustration. The Apostles take up the chorus to end the scene.
I remember chuckling at that line the first time I heard/read it.
The original album contained the complete libretto.