Mozart and Salieri, Op.48 (Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay) Movements/Sections Mov'ts/Sec's 1 act (2 scenes) Composition Year 1897 Genre Categories.Exploding the Salieri myth . A few clunky numbers on the soundtrack of Amadeus, Milos Forman's 1. Peter Shaffer's play, are all most of us will have heard of Salieri's music. Was there any more to him as a composer than that? There are influential musicians who say that there was. Indeed, Salieri's operas have been undergoing a slow but steady exhumation. SCENE II A private room in a tavern, with a piano. Mozart and Salieri are at the table. Salieri What makes you look so gloomy? Salieri Mozart, you must have something on your mind. The dinner’s good, the wine is excellent, But. Antonio Salieri (Italian: . He was born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, and spent his adult life and career as a subject of the Habsburg Monarchy. RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Mozart and Salieri Mozart and Salieri, an opera in one act consisting of two scenes. Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), composer. Libretto derived from Alexander Puskhin's play of the same name. First performance: 7.
Next year the renovated La Scala in Milan is to reopen its doors with the work Salieri wrote for its very first performance back in 1. And now Cecilia Bartoli has recorded an album devoted to his music. With an artist of Bartoli's clout on his side, it's safe to say that we're going to be hearing a lot more of Salieri the composer. And Salieri the poisoner? Sadly for those who like a good conspiracy theory, there's no evidence that he was any such thing. It's time to reappraise the man as well as his music. If Salieri wasn't the enviously wrathful schemer of Forman's imagination, who was he? We have frustratingly little first- hand information. But the picture drawn by Volkmar Braunbehrens's 1. There are, however, mentions of him as friendly and cheerful, and the Irish singer Michael Kelly, a good friend of Mozart, assures us that Salieri . What is certain is that by 1. Mozart set up home in Vienna, Salieri, six years his senior, was an established star. Born in the northern Italian town of Legnano in 1. Vienna aged 1. 5, where he was introduced to his later mentor, Gluck, and to the emperor, Joseph II. Salieri was invited to join in chamber music sessions with the emperor, and soon found himself launched on a career in the imperial court. His appointment in 1. Italian opera made him one of the most influential musicians in Europe. An ambitious young composer such as Mozart could conceivably have wished Salieri out of the way, but the other way round? So what if Mozart collaborated on Le Nozze di Figaro with Beaumarchais, the doyen of the Paris stage? Salieri was already working on Tarare, to a libretto by Beaumarchais himself, a work that would be a hit in Paris. And if Mozart's collaborations with the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte bore greater fruit than Salieri's? Well, no matter - it was Salieri, after all, who could claim credit for bringing Da Ponte to Vienna. True, after their first opera together flopped the composer swore he would rather have his fingers chopped off than work with him again, but he relented in time to write several that were far more successful. However, if what Mozart's wife Constanze reported was true, there was one incident that might conceivably have sparked a rivalry. She claimed that Salieri had been offered Da Ponte's libretto for Cosi Fan Tutte - and had rejected it as being not worth setting. When Mozart got his hands on it, a humiliated Salieri had to eat his words. Otherwise, though, any tensions between the two seem more like office politics. Salieri had to turn down the prestigious commission for La Clemenza di Tito, but had no real reason to resent Mozart for being the second choice. For his part, Mozart complains in letters to his father of being thwarted by Italian . Far from blocking its performance, Salieri frequently conducted Mozart's work. And Mozart's death, as one respected musical journal wrote, was almost certainly caused not by poison but by . It was only after Mozart's demise that Salieri began to have any real reason to hate him. Unlike that of any before him, Mozart's music kept on being performed. Cut down at the peak of his powers - and with the added frisson of whispered rumours that he might have been murdered - he became the first composer whose cult of celebrity actually flourished after his death. Salieri, however, had outlived his talent. He wrote almost no music for the last two decades of his life. Instead he spent time revising his previous works. He did have an impressive roster of pupils: Beethoven, Schubert, Meyerbeer and Liszt - not to mention Franz Xaver Mozart, his supposed adversary's young son. But the composer who had once been at the vanguard of new operatic ideas was not necessarily teaching his students to be similarly innovative; we can only be grateful that Schubert ignored his diatribes against the . So how did this respected musician become the rumoured murderer of the great Mozart? Nobody knows for certain. But in his final weeks Mozart is reported to have believed he had been poisoned, and had gone so far as to blame hostile Italian factions at the Viennese court. People put two and two together and pointed the finger at Salieri. And who could resist a story this good? Certainly not his fellow composers. There are mentions of it in Beethoven's Conversation Books. Weber, Mozart's father- in- law, had heard it by 1. Salieri ever after. And 2. 0 years later it was still doing the rounds; Rossini joked about it when he met Salieri in 1. As the rumour gathered strength, all denials only served to reinforce it. Then, in 1. 82. 3, Salieri - hospitalised, terminally ill and deranged - is said to have accused himself of poisoning Mozart. In more lucid moments he took it back. But the damage was done. Even if few believed the ramblings of a confused old man, the fact that Salieri had . Today, although we know it's almost certainly false, the image of Salieri as poisoner persists. It's largely because so many artists have been drawn to it - and their responses can reveal more about themselves than about the story. Pushkin, who wrote his Little Tragedy on the subject just five years after Salieri's death, made him unambiguously a murderer. But still, there's a sense of identification with both the deep- thinking Salieri and the light- hearted Mozart. Rimsky- Korsakov, writing about it 6. Mozart plays something Salieri hails as . And then, of course, there's Amadeus. The success of the film has done more than anything to promote the image of Salieri as malefactor, even though the play on which it is based rests on the fact that he wasn't actually a murderer. But in identifying with Salieri, Shaffer has made the composer's little tragedy into something far, far bigger: something that holds up a mirror to a side of human nature we'd rather not confront. All these works, though, miss out one important point: that Shaffer's . It's true that his output is inconsistent, that he rarely reaches the same heights Mozart scaled. But, equally, some of it is original and inventive - and the best is very good indeed. Salieri may have made a great cinematic villain, but perhaps in the future we can remember him for something he actually did. Box office: 0. 84. Cecilia Bartoli: The Salieri Album is out on Decca. Antonio Salieri - Biography. Antonio Salieri, 1. Painting by Joseph M. He asked Mosel to record the events of his life after his passing and to that end Salieri spent his twilight years gathering together as much material as possible. Mosel discovered however, that what Salieri had left was not a clear outline of significant events in his life but rather a collection of largely anecdotal material. Mosel was forced to start from scratch relying heavily on Salieri's letters. Much of what is known about Salieri today is the result of Mosel's efforts. Then in 1. 86. 4 Alexander Wheelock Thayer. Alexander Wheelock Thayer. Life of Beethoven, published a nineteen part series in Dwight's Music Journal of Boston on the life of Salieri. His work was based on Mosel's book as well as his own research conducted in Berlin and Vienna during the American Civil War. This repository of information was forgotten until 1. Theodore Albrecht edited the series into a book, Salieri, Rival of Mozart. And finally, in 1. Volkmar Braunbehrens published Salieri: Ein Musiker im Schatten Mozarts, another extensive look at the life of Salieri. It was later translated as Maligned Master: The Real Story of Antonio Salieri by Eveline L. The last two works cited above have formed the basis of this online biography. Salieri's father, also named Antonio, was a reasonably wealthy agricultural merchant who fathered eleven or twelve children, the future composer being the eighth. Friedrich Rochlitz. Friedrich Rochlitz. Salieri's life in an article for the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung 2. June 1. 82. 5,The Salieri family adapted to their changing fortunes and made do with what remained. It is known that his singing voice was exceptional, he studied piano and violin at an early age and had an expressed passion for music. One of the few surviving glimpses of Salieri's childhood musical life, though seemingly trivial, alludes to his strong convictions regarding music and involves a story about a chance meeting with the town organist. Salieri and his father had passed the organist while walking one day. When Salieri's father asked him why he had not greeted the man with more respect young Antonio replied that the organist played poorly and without feeling. As a result of those unfortunate circumstances, the parent less children were distributed among relatives and the thirteen year old Antonio was sent to live with an older brother, a monk in Padua. Rochlitz states that. He now resolved to dedicate his whole life to this art; and since his talent for it lay unmistakable, and since his love, zeal and diligence burned for it, no one objected to his doing so. When Salieri was fifteen, he was taken under wing by Giovanni Mocenigo, a friend of the family, who took him to Venice. Salieri's life must have been a whirlwind of emotion during this time. He had lost his parents, was taken to live in a monastery and was now being uprooted again. Adding to his bewilderment was the fact that Mocenigo was a wealthy aristocrat and Salieri found himself living in a palace. Salieri was provided teachers for continuo. Continuo - A keyboard line in an orchestral work where harmonies are indicated by numerals and improvisationally filled in by the player. Then Salieri's fortunes improved once again. He was introduced to the man who would become his mentor and guardian, Florian Leopold Gassmann. Florian Leopold Gassmann. Florian Leopold Gassmann, La Betulia liberata, Overture ( Excerpt ) Gassmann held court appointments in Vienna as Court Ballet and Court Chamber Music Composer and would later serve as Kapellmeister. Kapellmeister - The director of music in an orchestra, a church, at court, etc. He also spent a great deal of time traveling to and from Venice where he wrote an opera for every carnival season. He was in Venice at that time to perform a new opera of his and to look for talented individuals. Salieri's voice teacher arranged the introduction and Gassmann was so impressed with his singing and piano playing that he asked Mocenigo if he might take the boy with him to Vienna. What is intriguing here is that Salieri's seniors were so impressed with his musical skills that both of them were eager to provide him the best education possible. At the age of fifteen, Salieri arrived in Vienna in the spring of 1. Throughout his years there he regarded his arrival in that city as one of the happiest moments of his life. His education was taken seriously by Gassmann and that included private teachers for German, French and Latin as well as his native Italian. Instruction in composition was handled by Gassmann himself and centered on a strong foundation in counterpoint. Counterpoint - The technique of combining two or more melodic lines in such a way that they establish a harmonic relationship while retaining their linear individuality. A Latin text, Gradus ad Parnassum, by the Austrian composer Johann Fux Johann Joseph Fux. This was coupled to his Latin instruction where he would translate his own lessons. Joseph had heard that Gassmann had returned from Venice with a talented young man and wanted to meet him. Joseph II was a well trained musician who played several instruments, sang masterfully and sight read scores with proficiency. His gatherings were frequently devoted to playing the operas being performed at court. Gassmann, as Court Chamber Music composer and a favorite of the Emperor attended these gatherings regularly. The nervous Salieri responded with the improper salutation 'Your Excellency', one which he was accustomed to in his native Italy, but quickly corrected himself with 'Your Majesty'. The Emperor chuckled at the boy's embarrassment and engaged him in a discussion about those circumstances that had brought him to Vienna. When the conversation was concluded, the Emperor unexpectedly assigned the boy a singing part in an opera he was studying that evening. Salieri's skill at sight reading the vocal part duly impressed the Emperor. He switched the boy to the piano to test him. Again, the Emperor was delighted with Salieri's skill and extended to him a permanent invitation to attend the nightly chamber music gatherings. Consequently, Salieri's time was divided between his studies and working at the court opera. Seeing that the young man was eager to try his hand at composing, Gassmann had Salieri do rewrites of passages and eventually entire numbers. Before long, Gassmann was allowing Salieri to compose complete numbers. Salieri wrote an opera at this time, La Vestale, that appears to have been a self imposed exercise and is now lost. Thus was the life of the student Salieri for his first four years. The Mozart's. The Mozart Family were warmly received by Joseph II and his wife and in due course, Salieri would see Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Around 1. 76. 8 for the first time. This first encounter between Salieri and Mozart amounted to nothing more than their occupying the same space. When the eleven year old Wolfgang and his father Leopold. Leopold Mozart. 17. Imperial Opera it is reasonable to assume that Salieri, seventeen at the time, would have been present in his capacity as continuo player. Salieri was still a student though and would not have been noticed by Mozart. On the other hand, Mozart's reputation had long preceded him. At seven. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Age 7, he and his family had made a grand, three and a half year tour of Europe performing in Bavaria, the Rhine land, Brussels, Paris then London. Mozart's childhood musical triumphs were renowned throughout Europe but Mozart was eleven now and the charm was wearing thin. There was an under current of opinion in Vienna that Mozart's feats were trickery on the part of Leopold and that a young boy could not possibly compose music. Leopold's finances were stretched thin and it appeared as though he would have to return to Salzburg. Just when matters seemed bleakest, Joseph II asked Leopold if young Wolfgang might compose an opera for the Imperial stage. Leopold grasp the opportunity as a means of securing income and once again promoting his son's abilities. He was now being asked to produce a three hour opera. The young Mozart set to work, anxious to prove himself. The libretto. Libretto - The story and words in an opera. La Finta Semplice it seemed, was doomed to fail even before it was written. Within a few months, rehearsals began when the project began to unravel. The singers complained their parts were too difficult and the orchestra refused to take direction from a boy. Mozart was doing extensive rewrites when the impresario. Impresario - The agent, organizer or manager of an opera or concert company. This trip would mark the beginning of a lifelong perception on Leopold's part that cabals. Cabal - A group of conspirators. A clique, as in artistic, literary, or theatrical circles., at court and elsewhere, were intent on ruining his son. In truth, such mutinies are common in the world of theater and opera and are generally less than conspiratorial in their intent. Yet, Leopold would hold a grudge for Wolfgang's treatment to end of his days and regard all Italians as 'rascals'. In later life, Wolfgang too would come to suspect conspiracies against himself. Mozart departed Vienna after a one and a half year stay and except for a brief visit four years later, would not return for twelve years. The opportunity for Salieri to write a complete opera came in 1. Vienna. There was a young dancer and would be poet in the court opera at that time by the name of Giovanni Boccherini, brother of famed composer Luigi Boccherini. Luigi Boccherini. The aspiring young poet had written a libretto entitled La Donna Letterate which he was anxious to have set to music. The libretto had been intended for Gassmann but since he was away in Rome, one of Boccherini's friends persuaded him to present it to Salieri. He reasoned that since both of them were novices it would be easier for them to work together.
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