Amadeus

I was fossicking in the DVD rental place across the road from Zürich station, looking for something to watch on the train home, when I came across this, and realised that, even though it's 20 years old, I had seen only fragments on the TV. So I borrowed it - and was knocked out.

OK, it's not historical (there is little evidence of rivalry between Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Mozart and none whatsoever that Salieri had a hand in his death), but if one accepts Peter Schaffer's play and sceeenplay as it is, it works wonderfully well. F. Murray Abraham thoroughly deserved that Oscar for Best Actor as the sneaky, wily, underhand Salieri, who is grossly offended that God should have lavished all His musical bounty not on the devout, sober Salieri, but on the loud, brash, potty-mouthed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and who sets out to correct God's error by destroying Mozart.

However, all the minor parts are beautifully played, the Emperor Josef II being particularly good, with his slightly not-quite-at-the match expression. Mind you, hard to beat for expression was the Cardinal of Salzburg, who habitually looked as if he'd ingested an entire forest of lemons. To my eyes and ears, even the American-accented parts of Wolfgang and Constanza Mozart worked well, helping to set off the brash, loud, younger generation against the sober, strait-laced older generation, as typified by father Leopold Mozart.

And then there's the music. Played by Nev and the ASMF, no less, Brilliant. Mozart's greatest (operatic) hits - bits of "Seraglio", "Le nozze di Figaro", "Don Giovanni" and "The Magic Flute" (the last-named the stunning Queen of the Night aria). And at the end, the Requiem.

I am sorely tempted to acquire.

 

Yes, I agree with all of this- great fun. Saw it many years ago and used to play the CD in the car a lot. It was Amadeus that really got me hooked on the requiem - of which I probably have too many copies!

 

it's a fabulous film and well worth acquiring. I love the scene where Mozart casually improves on Salieri's tribute to the Emperor . surprisingly, my kids, who are hardened to all sorts of gore and schlock, are still scared witless by the scenes with the masked man.

 

Not a great lover of classical music but this film turned me in that direction, similarly "Bird" with Forrest Whittaker gave me an appreciation of Charlie Parker.

John Caswell

 

You mean, the scene from "Don Giovanni" when the Commendatore's statue rolls up to the party? (Don Giovanni killed the Commendatore in the first act and mockingly invites the statue to dinner - and is somewhat nonplussed, to say the least, when the statue accepts. However, he refuses to mend his ways and is dragged down to hell). Done well, it's a tremendously dramatic scene.

 

no, I mean the silent masked man who comes to their apartment to keep Mozart's nose to the grindstone on his commission, destroying his health..

 

Aha, yes, that one. Certainly wouldn't fancy one of those rolling up every so often to ask, "Have you finished that patent application yet?"

 

It’s a classic film with lots of joy jealously and murder. I guess will never know the truth, whether (Antonio Salieri) really did bump off poor ole Mozart?

The music the sound and the visuals look breathtakingly stunning. I haven’t brought the newer version of the film I still have the first edition that Warner Bros realised back in 1998 which as an isolated music track only in ((stereo)) only while the film blasts it out in glorious Dolby 5.1 with stereo surrounds.:band:

 

Kenneth Branagh's just releasing his version of the Magic Flute, which I'm also looking forward to. Has apparently taken some librettis with the words (rewritten by Stephen Fry....!) but Mark Kermode said it was reminiscent in some ways of the over the top MF production that featured in Amadeus.

 

It was a fun exciting tale of one of the greatest musicians who ever lived