Musicals Blog

Amadeus (1984)

by Claire J Rottenberg


Although "Amadeus" is not an opera, it has scenes from several of Mozart's operas and it probably introduced many viewers to opera. Three of the operas featured in "Amadeus" are "Don Giovanni," "The Magic Flute" and "The Marriage of Figaro."

"Amadeus" is a fictionalized account of the relationship between Mozart and the Italian composer, Antonio Salieri. It was based on the Broadway play by Peter Shaffer, who won a Tony for the play and an Academy Award for his screenplay adaptation.

The Broadway version of "Amadeus" opened on December 11, 1980 and it ran for 1,181 performances. It starred Tim Curry as Mozart, Ian McKellen as Salieri and Jane Seymour as Mozart's wife, Constanze. The play won 5 Tony awards, including the award for Best Play.

The 1984 movie version of "Amadeus" was a huge financial and critical success. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and it won 8, including the awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (F. Murray Abraham), Best Director (Milos Foreman) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Peter Shaffer).

The score of "Amadeus" is magnificent, featuring some of Mozart's best work. It includes several arias from operas by Mozart plus the dramatic Commendatore scene from his "Don Giovanni." The music was conducted by Sir Neville Marriner and played by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields orchestra.

The film version of "Amadeus" starred primarily stage actors. Included in the cast were Tom Hulce as Mozart, F. Murray Abraham as Salieri and a young Christine Ebersole in a small supporting role. Both Hulce and Abraham were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

"Amadeus" is a superb film but it is not suitable for children due to the sexual and violent nature of some of the scenes. However, it might be of interest to older teens and could be a way to introduce them to Mozart and opera.