Resource Guide 2008
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Pittsburgh Public Theater Education and Outreach Education Resource Guide 2008 1 Table of Contents: Page Character Biographies: Mozart 3 Salieri 4 Synopsis 5 Cast of Characters 7 About the Author 8 Amadeus Production History 10 About our Production: Actor Biographies 11 Themes to Explore: Art and Religion 12 Musical Memories 14 Secret Societies 16 Glossary 18 After the Show Questions 19 References 19 Academic Standards 20 2 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Premature Talent and an Untimely End There are few musical figures in history that can rival the genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His legacy as a child prodigy has lived on for centuries, colored by accounts of his concerts for royalty and grand Euro- pean tours. Mozart’s remarkable story begins a bit ear- lier than the controversial (and embellished) adult years featured in Amadeus. Born on January 27th 1756, Mozart’s inherent talent was first noticed at age four, when he began to mimic his older sister’s compo- sitions. Just two years later, Mozart was composing short pieces on the clavier, excelling at the violin and gearing up for his first tour! Mozart’s father, Leopold, educated the child prodigy and his older sister Maria- Anna. The young boy’s precocious talent brought much attention from the aristoc- racy during his first tour. The family, without Mozart’s mother, visited major Euro- pean cities, such as Paris, Munich and Vienna. The tour was difficult for them; young Mozart missed his mother, the pay was trifling and both children fell seriously ill. Together they spent eight years on the road continually stunning audiences. To- ward the end, the focus of his performances had shifted from the talents of a brilliant child to his skill as a pianist and composer. Surprisingly, Mozart’s early success did not pave the way for an easy career in music, as many would assume. He had trouble obtaining a court appointment, and thus be- gan his adult career by playing the organ in Salzburg. Unhappy with his position there, Mozart moved permanently to Vienna where he hoped to find better opportu- nities as a musician. It was there that he met the woman who would become his wife, Constanze. Though always composing, Mozart struggled, made more difficult with the additional stress of a growing family. Despite his seemingly impressive resume, Mozart could not find a wealthy patron to back his works so he relied on teaching and giving concerts. To relieve his financial woes, he hoped for a court appointment that never came. Mozart composed new works regularly until his death in 1791. When Mozart died at just 35 years old, rumors swirled that Salieri, his chief rival, had poisoned him, prompting the story behind Amadeus. Medical records suggest that his untimely death was probably due to an illness such as rheumatic fever. In his lifetime, Mozart completed an incredible canon of musical pieces, including 21 stage and opera works, 15 masses, 25 piano sonatas, 26 string quartets, and more than 50 symphonies. In total, the prolific composer is credited with creating about 600 works. 3 Antonio Salieri: Rediscovering a Near- Forgotten Talent By: Philip Stephenson After many decades spent languishing in near-anonymity, Salieri is once again a house- hold name, thanks to Shaffer’s powerful drama. However, that has meant that for over 20 years, most of what the public has come to “know” about this great composer has been gleaned from a work of fiction. But there is a great deal truly worth learning about Antonio Salieri, and realizing that he did not poison Mozart is just the beginning. Salieri was born in Legnano, Italy in 1750, into a prosperous family. He and his older brother Francesco both studied music. When he was very young, Salieri so loved the sound of music that he followed his brother to a perform- ance several towns away, alarming his father so much by his absence that he promised young Antonio if he ever did something like it again, he would lock him in his room for a week with nothing but bread and water to eat. Between 1763 and 1765 both his mother and father passed away. After a short stay with a brother in Padua, a friend of his late father and Venetian no- bleman Giovanna Mocenigo, took Salieri along with him to Venice. In Vi- enna, to begin with, he continued his education. Gassman saw it as his divine duty to provide for the education of the young talent. In time, the Emperor Joseph II heard of Gassman’s charge and asked to meet him. When Salieri played for the Emperor, he was so impressed that he requested that Gass- man bring Salieri along each and every time he came to visit. It was Salieri’s first big break and Joseph II’s patronage would be key to Salieri’s career. In 1774, when Gassman died, the emperor promoted Salieri to imperial royal chamber composer and Kapellmeister to the Italian opera. The next year Salieri met his soon-to-be wife, Therese von Helfersdorfer. Salieri was appointed Court Kapellmeister in Vienna in 1788. He continued to compose for the stage until 1804, his last major success being Palmira, Queen of Per- sia in 1795. After falling ill in 1824, he died the next year at the age of 74. 4 Amadeus Plot Synopsis Setting: Vienna, Austria. November, 1823, and in recall, the decade 1781-1791 ACT I The year is 1823. Rumors spread through the streets of Vienna that composer Antonia Salieri, in his old age, claims he assassinated Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 32 years ago. Sa- lieri addresses the audience, telling of a bargain he made with God long ago: to live a vir- tuous life in exchange for fame as a composer. As Salieri’s prayers begin to be answered, Mozart, the child prodigy, began to tour Europe. The scene now shifts to 1781. Salieri is a successful composer in the Hapsburg court un- der Emperor Joseph II. Salieri introduces us to the arbiters of taste in the Hapsberg Court: Count von Strack, royal chamberlain; Count Orsini-Rosenberg, director of the Im- perial Opera; and Baron von Sweiten, prefect of the Imperial Library. Sweiten offers to initiate Salieri into the Freemasons Lodge, the most influential club in Vienna. He ac- cepts, and he learns from his ‘Venticelli,’ two men the composer employs to keep him abreast of news ad rumors, that Mozart, now a young man, has come to Vienna to live. At a reception soon after, Salieri silently observes Mozart playing flirtatiously, then proposing marriage to a young woman, Constanze. He has been invited to play in the fashionable Salon, as was the custom. As Salieri listens, he is awestruck by Mozart’s talent, but assures himself this composition is merely the luck of a young composer. Yet when Mozart comes to court to accept a commission for a comic opera, he easily finds the flaws in Salieri’s “Welcome March” and instantly transforms it into a far superior composition. It is then that Salieri realizes this Mozart is no fluke. Mozart has cast Katherina Cavalieri, Salieri’s star pupil, in his comic opera. Salieri’s jeal- ousy turns to hatred at the thought that Mozart has made love to Katherina, a temptation he has resisted himself for the sake of his vow of purity. Out of revenge, Salieri entertains thoughts of seducing Constanze, now Mozart’s wife. Salieri learns that Mozart is in need of work and wants the position of music instructor to Princess Elizabeth. Salieri offers to recommend Mozart for the instructor’s position, then invites Constanze to visit him later at his apartment with some of Mozart’s scores, where he unsuccessfully tries to seduce her in exchange for the recommendation. After she leaves, Salieri examines the scores and is convinced that Mozart is truly a genius, capable of writing flawless music without need of corrections. Enraged by the revelation that Mozart – a rude, raucous child – has been in- discriminately bestowed with the musical genius he has craved since childhood, Salieri de- clares a private war against God. He vows to seek revenge against God by destroying Mo- zart, whom God has favored. 5 ACT II Constanze returns to Salieri prepared to give in to his demands so that Mozart may secure the commission, but Salieri is no longer interested in taking revenge through Constanze. Instead he forsakes his vow of purity to God altogether and takes Katherina as a mistress. Citing Mozart’s reputation as a womanizer as dangerous for a candidate, Salieri recom- mends another man for the instructor’s position. Over the years, Salieri’s reputation as a composer continues to grow, while Mozart’s does not and he sinks into poverty. Mozart prepares a new opera for the court (The Marriage of Figaro) but Rosenberg and Salieri scheme against it, based on a decree of Joseph II that prevents dancing in operas. King Joseph makes an unusual appearance at a rehearsal and demands the dancing be re- stored, but Mozart is disappointed by the cool reaction of the court when the opera is pre- sented. Salieri ensures that the opera will not be revived. Pretending to be a friend, Salieri sympathizes with Mozart’s financial straits and comforts him after his father’s death. The brilliance of Mozart’s compositions continues to frustrate Salieri, and he vows to ruin Mo- zart financially, believing that doing so will stop God’s creation. Even when Joseph II grants Mozart the chamber composer’s position, Salieri sees to it that the salary is reduced to virtually nothing, leaving Mozart to beg for income from his fellow Freemasons.