I've never seen the play, although I have read it. I think it's excellent, I also was fond of the film too.

What do you guys think of it? What the hell does Tom Hulce do these days?! His american accent was incredibly annoying!

I really liked it. My favorite part was when Mozart played Salieri's march back to him from memory, and started improvising variations until he'd morphed it into an aria that he used in Don Giovanni.

I'm sure you've already guessed that the original idea for this story came from Russia. It's based on a 1-act play in verse by Alexander Pushkin, written in 1830, called "Mozart and Salieri."

http://members.aol.com/afrshaw/mozsal.htm

And this play was turned into an opera in 1898 by Rimsky-Korsakov, incorporating parts of Mozart's Requiem and Don Giovanni:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_and_Salieri

Here's a photo of a production of the opera 100 years ago:

Abrams was very good, but so was Frank Langella in the stage play before the movie was made. I forget who played Mozart in the stage play, but I like him much better than Tom Hulce.

Did you see "The Last Action Hero" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger with Abrams as the corrupt, murderous Chief of Police?

-- The boy told me not to trust you. He said you killed Moe Zart.

-- Moe who?

Ive heard that history today has taken quite a few liberties on the rivalry of Mozart and Salieri.
Apparently, it wasnt that heated as depicted in today's theatre and movies.
Athough I agree with Pinz..that scene where Amadeus improvises Salieri's march into an aria of Don Giovanni is priceless....one of my favs...both in the play and the film

From what I've read, the real Mozart and Salieri got along fine. Pushkin probably wrote the play "Mozart and Salieri" about himself and his enemies.

When he wrote the play in 1830, Pushkin was still young (he never got old) and much more popular as a poet than his older contmporaries. Lovely young girls swooned over him, and there was a lot of jealousy.

Pushkin probably identified with the Mozart character that he created for the play, and cast his jealous enemies in the role of Salieri. Six years after the play was written, Pushkin's enemies did him in--in a duel.

Here's an excerpt from a film of Pushkin's original play (1830):



Pushkin was a poet, so translations don't to him justice, but this is better than nothing, i suppose:

Mozart

Aha! You saw me! I was hoping to
Surprise you with a little joke of mine.

Salieri

You’re here? When did you come?

Mozart

Just now. I had
Something to show you, and was on my way,
But passing by a tavern, suddenly
I heard a fiddle. Oh, Salieri, my friend,
You never in your life heard anything
So funny. This blind fiddler in a tavern
Playing Voi che sapete. Marvelous!
I had no choice, I had to bring him here
To treat you to the pleasure of his art.
In here!

(Enter a blind old man with a violin)

Play us a little Mozart, would you?

(The old man plays an aria from
Don Giovanni. Mozart laughs loudly.)

Salieri

And you can laugh at that?

Mozart

Oh come, Salieri,
Don’t you think it’s funny?

Salieri

No, I don’t.
When Raphael’s madonnas are defiled
By worthless daubers, I do not find it funny.
When a contemptible buffoon dishonors
Alighieri with his parodies,
I do not find it funny. Be off, old man.

Mozart

Wait. Take this for yourself, and drink my health.

(The old man leaves)

Salieri, you seem out of sorts. I’ll come
Again another time.

Salieri

What did you bring me?

Mozart

Oh, nothing. Just a trifle. The other night,
When my insomnia was racking me,
A few ideas came into my head.
Today I jotted them down. I wanted to
Hear your opinion, but I can see
You have no time for me.

Salieri

Oh, Mozart, Mozart,
When do I have no time for you? Sit down.
I’m listening.

Mozart (at the piano)

Imagine then...well, who?
Let’s say myself, a little younger, maybe,
A little bit in love, but not too much,
A pretty girl or friend -- yourself, let’s say --
Is with me, I feel good, when all at once...
A funereal vision, sudden gloom, or something...
Here, listen.

(He plays)

Salieri

You were bringing this to me,
And you could stop in at a tavern to listen
To a blind man with a fiddle? God,
Mozart, you are unworthy of yourself.

Mozart

You like it, do you?

Salieri

What profundity!
What boldness and what perfect form! Mozart,
You are a god, and do not even know it.
I know it, though.

Mozart

No! Really?...Maybe so.
But my Divinity is getting hungry.

I should have made this a poll--Hollywood vs The Moscow Film Kollektif.

Which do you'all think is better?

-- Mozart: Tom Hulce or Valeriy Zolotukhin?

-- Salieri: Murray Abrams or Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy?

-- Screenplay: Peter Shaffer or Alexander Pushkin?

-- Director: Milos Foreman or Mikhail Shveytser?