Amadeus movie

[ajiematics]

First of all, thanks to Nicole for granting my request for Mozart Symphony No.40 in G minor (K.550). I am a first-time listener, and I was ecstatic to hear my music request so quickly! Thanks, Nicole!

I'd like to ask about the movie Amadeus (which came out in 1984). Just how accurate is the movie compared to Mozart's real life?

[OperaTenor]

My understanding was it was a blend of fact and legend, and was generally regarded as a bit romanticized and sensationalized. That being said, I enjoyed it immensely.

[lioness]

welsome gaston! request always and post often!

i remember reading or hearing years back that someone said the movie was 'fantasia based on fact'. (can't remember who, sorry)

Mozart died at the early age of 35 and to this day, the actual cause of death seems to still seems to be of speculation. the movie was an assumption of Antonio Salieri's look at Mozarts life. it clearly played on a a love/hate dimentia that includes the human quest of transcendence. Saleri saw his own musical flaws by comparing his years of works to this much younger, foul mouthed and obnoxious genius. he poisoned him later on.

however (dun, dun duuuuunnnnn)...

during the later part of his musical career Saleri moved to Vienna with many triumphs in opera. after Wolfie died there were rumors of Salieri killing him, but Vienna never believe these rumors and they have since been confirmed not true.

this is not to say Saleri was of sound mind. he had to be put in an asylum because he started to become 'unstable' and ended up dying there.

Saleri had many phenominal students, that included names such as Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt. i'm sure there are others that will post to this thread and give you better knowledge than i.

thanks for listening.

[Nicole Marie]

Actually... In real life...

Salieri and Mozart did meet a limited number of times. But there was no jealousy between the two, they were very civil. Salieri even taught music to Mozart second son and to Hummel who was a former pupil of Mozart’s. They liked each other folks.

Yes, Salieri did say he murdered Mozart but he also said a whole host of things while he was in the asylum before he died. No one bought it and Salieri would die there. Mozart died penniless and probably from a disease.

The whole professional rivalry came about from Puskin... many, many years later. Puskin wrote Little Tragedies about the fake rivalry between Mozart and Salieri. People loved it and many more forms of art started to pop up about this fake subject. It's makes a buck! Including Hollywood with the movies Amadeus. It's fun, but very false.

<small>[ 02-11-2005, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: Nicole Marie ]</small>

[hal 9000]

But didn't Salieri make the production of Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio difficult by placing all sorts of obstacles in the way, going so far as to send an audience to boo the opera when he could not stop it from happening?

From what I understand, that is the most notable example of Salieri acting as antagonist toward Mozart, but it is said that he created other obstacles as well, most likely to protect his own position. I don't buy the Salieri killed Mozart theory, but I do not think his actions were not that of a friend.

Perhaps Salieri believed that he was responsible for Mozart's death. By placing obstacles in his way, Salieri kept Mozart from obtaining a post that he obviously deserved. Thus Mozart lived in poverty, which may have contributed to the illness that ultimately took is life at a young age. Salieri may have been filled with guilt because of this, and it may have been what drove him mad. So in his mind he may have felt he did kill Mozart, just not in the literal sense.

Am I incorrect? Were the obstacles placed by Salieri another part of Pushkin's fiction, or did the really occur?

<small>[ 02-11-2005, 10:47 PM: Message edited by: hal9000 ]</small>

[DavidEB310]

OperaTenor is correct -- fact and fiction. I have read several biographies on Mozart, but in no way has it taken away my enjoyment of the film. However, as far as Mozart being as crude, it's hard to say, but we're all human, and of course, it was one of the former Animal House Delta boys portraying Wolfie.

I liken "Amadeus" to parallel the script of "The Buddy Holly Story." In many respects, very similar, both young geniuses who died tragically and too early, leaving behind a wife and child. In Buddy's case, he left behind a daughter. She has blended into society as much as Mozart's own son.

And, of course, both Wolfie and Buddy left behind a tremendous legacy with their music. I disagree that Elvis is the King of Rock and Roll.

[analog]

Some TV show (unsolved mysteries or similar) suggested Mozart got lead poisoning from a set of heavily leaded glass goblets he used often as a musical toy. He'd fill them partway with water, then rub the rims causing each to ring at it own tone.

Sounds plausible. Maybe he was using wine not water....?

A memorable movie - as was the one about Beethoven - "Immortal Beloved(?)" Introduced a lot of people to the symphonic sound.

[treebeau]

Originally posted by DavidEB310:
...
I liken "Amadeus" to parallel the script of "The Buddy Holly Story." In many respects, very similar, both young geniuses who died tragically and too early, leaving behind a wife and child...

Let's not foget that "Peggy Sue" and "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" have many of the same NOTES.

Regards,
Tim "Lincoln/Kennedy coincidence" B.

P.S. Just messin' with ya dude.

[DavidEB310]

Hey treebeau,

Mozart would have been proud of Buddy's orchestral background in "True Love Ways."

And, in a sense, isn't "That'll Be The Day" to Buddy what The Final Requiem was to Mozart?

Nice to see ya again.

D.

[ajiematics]

Is it fact or fiction, then, that Salieri paid Mozart to write his own Requiem, albeit under a great deal of subterfuge?

[lioness]

i know at the end there when Mozart was bed ridded from sickness he said had been writing the final requiem for himself but also for the Anonymous Benefactor (as he was later called).

as of yet i haven't found it anywhere that Salieri was that prime influence.