In Anthony Shaffer’s play Amadeus, and Milos Forman’s movie from the play, Mozart’s adult life is shadowed throughout by the growing malice of someone he knew. Who was it?
A) Antonio Salieri, composer ü B) Constanze Mozart, wife C) Joseph II, emperor D) Lorenzo da Ponte, librettist
The idea that Salieri was Mozart’s bitter enemy, much less the cause of his death, has no historical foundation. From all appearances they got along well enough, and in later life — he survived Mozart by more than thirty years — Salieri was notably generous towards other composers, Mozart included. Still, Amadeus is a fable, not a biography, and it is surely true that even if it is unfair to use Salieri as the model of an artistic hack and murderer, there could be no better candidate than Mozart for the opposing role of one who has been divinely favored with the gift of music.
