The Vatican

What is the sound of Papal Rome? Matthew Sweet explores the music of films set in and influenced by the Vatican. From Morricone's melancholy oboe in The Mission to Hans Zimmer's massed choirs and menacing strings in Angels & Demons. Nino Rota's score for The Godfather Part III exquisitely demonstrates both the pageantry of the Catholic Church and Michael Corleone's personal feelings of guilt in the film. Meanwhile, the solo guitar highlights the intimacy between the two protagonists in Bryce Dessner's score for the gripping biographical drama The Two Popes, highlighting the intimacy between the popes of the film's title. The Vatican has even issued a list of films it deems important so we'll hear the music that they're recommending, such as On The Waterfront, The Lavender Hill Mob and The Wizard of Oz. To listen on most smart speakers, just say: "Ask BBC Sounds to play Sound of Cinema.”

You can listen to The Vatican online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Vatican is an episode from Sound of Cinema by BBC.

This episode is 17:18 long.

This episode was published on Jan 2, 2025.

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