Fiction and Untruth in Amadeus by Peter Shaffer
The play “Amadeus” by Peter Shaffer was not written in order to be a biography of the great composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, much more than this, Peter Shaffer wrote it as a story, rather than a history. In his story he was free to insert fiction to make the play more interesting to a wide audience, as well as to fulfill his purposes. However, musicologists and historians have written several articles claiming that Peter Shaffer “trashed this immortal”. What none of them can see is that in “Amadeus” there are situations that are plausible while others are “fictional ornament”. In this paper I will make an attempt to point what is fiction or untruth. The center of the play lies on
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On the other hand, Constanze supported the idea that Salieri killed Mozart and she believed that Salieri planned against Mozart during his life. But the medical observations of Mozart can nowadays be diagnosed as several causes, from typhus to rheumatic fever, streptococcal infection to cyclothymic disorder, but none related to poisoning. Shaffer probably decided to write this play because of this rumor of a murder between two great composers. This idea, which at that time was indeed plausible, fed Shaffer with inspirations to write “Amadeus”. Even not being true, Salieri poisoning Mozart was a demand for Shaffer’s play. Again, a play here is a piece of art, not a biography. What seems to be the most important topic of the play is the relation between Salieri and Mozart. As it is seen throughout the play, Salieri’s envy is not demonstrated to others, he treated Mozart with respect and had friendly manners. However, he boycotted Mozart inside the court. Mozart could have had the post to teach Princess Elizabeth:
JOSEPH: Herr Sommer. A dull man, surely? What of Mozart?
SALIERI: Majesty, I cannot with a clear conscience recommend Mozart to teach royalty. One hears too many stories.
JOSEPH: They may be just gossip.
SALIERI: One of them, I regret, relates to a protégée of my own. A very young singer.
JOSEPH:
Born Wofgang Amadeus Mozart in 1756, he was considered a genius when he was just a child. He taught himself how to play the violin, clarinet, and trumpet. At age nine, he composed a full symphony, and at fourteen he wrote his first opera. During his life, he accomplished and composed fifty symphonies, twenty-five piano concertos, twelve violin concertos, twenty-seven concertos arias, twenty-six string quartets, one hundred and three minuets, fifteen masses, and twenty-one works of opera. Mozart was so talented that after only hearing a piece of music once, he would be able to play it perfectly even without the music. He was able to write music before words. He was excellent in math and could speak a few languages. It would take you 1500 years to listen to all of his music if you listened to it every day for 8
Mozart was an extremely childish, immature person; yet one of the most talented musicians of all time.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart lived from January 27, 1756 to December 5, 1791. Mozart was a very influential and prolific composer of more than 600 works, including symphonies, concertante, chamber, piano, opera, and choral music. Regarded as a child prodigy, Mozart composed and performed in the European courts from the age of five, and was engaged at the Salzburg court at 17. Mozart’s musical style can be classified as Classical, although he learned from many of his contemporaries throughout his musical career. In order to better understand Mozart’s genius it is best to begin looking at his earliest contributions to the musical world as a child. From there, an exploration of his
He is what most people consider a musical prodigy, yet evidence suggests quite the opposite. Mozart became so famous when he actually succeeded at a slower rate than other people, which goes to show the effects of hard work. People who have the free will and mental capacity to work harder towards their goals will come to succeed even quicker than a famed “child prodigy” like Mozart.
The play, "An Inspector Calls", uses moralistic irony to reflect on achievements made today. He reveals the weaknesses and wickedness not only in society, but in the individual characters; which I explain
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was blessed with the a musical intelligence. This intelligence gave him the ability to perform and compose music. As a child Mozart was a prodigy since childhood. Mozart was composing music as early of the age of 5. His music wasn't pots and pans banging together. Mozart's music was extraordinary, he had composed 600 plus works by his mid 20s. He could feel the rhythm and knew exactly what to do with it. If this kind of intelligence does not fit Mozart, then I have no idea what could.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived during a period of great change in philosophy, art, religion and music. This change was brought about by the transition from the baroque period where the Catholic Church encouraged the arts to depict religious themes and the aristocracy ruled over the artists. The populace had very little power or recognition.
The effects of Mozart on today’s society can be seen just about everywhere. In marketing, they play music to make the consumer want to buy their product. In restaurants, they play music to help the customer feel relaxed in their establishment. People listen to music while driving cars. It seems that music permeates almost every aspect of our everyday lives. When people think of the birth of modern music, they often think of classical music. And when people think of classical music, they think of Mozart. During the 18th century, the musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed a total number of six hundred and fifty works. When he was younger, he toured Europe with his father, Leopold, and his sister, Nannerl, playing for Europe’s elite of the time. He put forth some major musical contributions that shape modern music today (Fiero 324,326). Classical music is the great grandfather of all modern music. Some people enjoy
Mozart was known for having an ear that would make any musician envious. From a young age he was able to listen to any piece of music and his mind would interpret all of that data with ease. While in Rome, he listened to a performance of Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere only twice at the Sistine Chapel and was able to write it down for memory when he got home (Abert 135).
Mozart was a virtuoso on the piano. A virtuoso refers to someone who is highly skilled on his or her instrument. Mozart played keyboard and violin while his sister only played the keyboard. At the early age of 3, Mozart was showing signs of being musically gifted and began composing shortly after. Both he and his sister received intense musical training which, in turn, allowed Mozart the opportunity to grow as a musician. It became certain that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy. This meant that he had a skill that was not learned. He had a natural gift for music. Their father, Leopold began teaching his children music at a young age. Because of this, both children were destined to get far in their musical careers. Over his short life, Mozart wrote several operas. His most famous operas include; The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute and La Clemenza di Tito. Operas and plays that are entirely sung. Each of Mozart’s operas have a story behind it. For example, The Marriage of Figaro is a comedy about a couple trying to get married but, a series of obstacles interferes with it. Because Mozart showed a talent for music at the young age of six, his father took him and his sister to play in from of a court and they caught the attention of important individuals. This resulted in a tour.
Wolfgang Mozart could be best known as one of the most outstanding child prodigies in history. Mozart just had that musical skill thrive in his body, especially at a young age.
At the age of eight, he wrote a symphony and at eleven, he wrote an oratorio. Then, at the age of twelve he wrote a great opera. Mozart's father was Leopold Mozart, who happened to be a court musician. Both Mozart and Beethoven had help from their fathers in many different ways. Mozart's father helped him travel around as a young musician and he traveled many places and he seen many well-known people and aristocrats. Because of Mozart's early successes many challenges had become part of his life. He had very high expectations from the community and from his father. Unlike, Beethoven, Mozart was spoiled as a youth and because of this he refused to be treated as a servant. He completely relied on his father’s help and refused to work with the archbishop. This would become a problem later when Mozart did not develop enough initiative. Because of that he could not make decisions on his own.
Amadeus begins with the “savage whispers” and snakelike hissing” of the Ventricelli, the two Little Winds who appear throughout the play, spreading rumors. They spew forth words from their mouths like curses, First “Saliere” and “assassin” emerge, followed by the talk of Mozart’s death, or murder, and the question that we are left with: Did Saliere murder Mozart? If he did, why did he wait thirty-two years to make his confession (Morace 37)?
Without a doubt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, was probably the greatest genius in Western musical history. His father was a noted composer, pedagogue and author of a famous treatise on violin
Susan McClary’s scholarly article, A Musical Dialect from the Enlightenment: Mozart’s Piano Concerto in G Major, K. 453, Mvt. 2, starts off with her recalling a time after watching a performance of the concerto with a colleague and the two of them confessing different opinions about the soloist’s performance. McClary, who liked the performance, notes that soloist articulates “unusual compositional strategies indicated in Mozart’s texts”. The argument ends with the two not only about the piece and Mozart, but also about the significance of the eighteenth-century. McClary’s article attempts to critique the perfection of Mozart’s works.