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.