It ran for 1,181 performances, closing on 16 October 1983 and was nominated for seven Tony Awards (Best Actor for both McKellen and Curry, Best Director for Peter Hall, Best Play, Best Costume Design, Lighting and Set Design for John Bury), of which it won five (including Best Play and Best Actor for McKellen).
The play premiered on Broadway on 11 December 1980 at the Broadhurst Theatre, with Ian McKellen as Salieri, Tim Curry as Mozart and Jane Seymour as Constanze. The cast also included Andrew Cruickshank (Rosenberg), Basil Henson (von Strack), Philip Locke (Greybig), John Normington (Joseph II) and Nicholas Selby (van Swieten). (Callow appeared in the film version in a different role.) It was later transferred in modified form to Her Majesty's Theatre in the West End, starring Frank Finlay as Salieri. Notable productions Īmadeus was first presented at the National Theatre, London in 1979, directed by Sir Peter Hall and starring Paul Scofield as Salieri, Simon Callow as Mozart and Felicity Kendal as Constanze. By the same token, Constanze Mozart, she (in the film) of the extraordinary decollete and fatuous giggle, needs to be rescued from Schaffer's view of her". Robbins Landon commented that "it may prove difficult to dissuade the public from the current Schafferian view of the composer as a divinely gifted drunken lout, pursued by a vengeful Salieri. Cairns also rejects the "romantic legend" that Mozart always wrote out perfect manuscripts of works already completely composed in his head, citing major and prolonged revisions to several manuscripts (see: Mozart's compositional method). Writer David Cairns called Amadeus "myth-mongering" and argued against Shaffer's portrait of Mozart as "two contradictory beings, sublime artist and fool", positing instead that Mozart was "fundamentally well-integrated". He also conducted some of Mozart's works, in Mozart's lifetime and afterwards. As an example, Salieri later tutored Mozart's son Franz in music. In fact, there is evidence that they enjoyed a relationship marked by mutual respect. Documentary evidence suggests that there may have been some occasional antipathy between the two men but the idea that Salieri was the instigator of Mozart's demise is not taken seriously by scholars of the men's lives and careers. Shaffer used artistic licence in his portrayals of Mozart and Salieri. He survives and his confession is met with disbelief, leaving him to wallow once again in mediocrity.īackground and production Historical accuracy Salieri attempts suicide with a razor in a last attempt to be remembered, leaving a false confession of having murdered Mozart with arsenic. A major theme in Amadeus is Mozart's repeated attempts to win over the aristocratic "public" with increasingly brilliant compositions, which are always frustrated either by Salieri or by the aristocracy's inability to appreciate Mozart's genius. He smears Mozart's character with the Emperor and the court. Salieri humiliates Mozart's wife when she comes to Salieri for aid. On more than one occasion, only the intervention of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor allows Mozart to continue (interventions which Salieri opposes and then is all too happy to take credit for when Mozart assumes it was he who intervened). Salieri pretends to be Mozart's ally to his face while doing his utmost to destroy his reputation and any success his compositions may have. Salieri renounces God and vows to do everything in his power to destroy Mozart as a way of retaliating against his Creator. A devout Catholic all his life, Salieri cannot believe that God would choose Mozart over him for such a gift. Salieri cannot reconcile Mozart's boorish behaviour with the genius that God has inexplicably bestowed upon him. Mozart is crawling around on his hands and knees, engaging in profane talk with his future bride Constanze Weber. When he finally does catch sight of Mozart he is deeply disappointed to find him lacking the grace and charm of his compositions. He adores Mozart's compositions and is thrilled at the chance to meet him, during a salon at which some of Mozart's compositions will be played. The action then flashes back to the eighteenth century, at a time when Salieri has not met Mozart but has heard of him and his music. Speaking directly to the audience, he claims to have used poison to assassinate Mozart and promises to explain himself. The composer Salieri is an old man, having long outlived his fame.
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