What excitements have happened since the last post?
One was watching a live broadcast of "Amadeus", performed at the National Theatre and broadcast to our local theatre. What a good idea! I know that these live broadcasts are not new, but this is the first time we have been to see one. It is also the first time I have seen Amadeus - ever.
It was astonishing - Mozart as an extraordinary, volatile, off-the-wall and rather pink genius (wearing rather beautiful pink Doc Martin boots in the first half). Salieri wrestling with the knowledge that his own more than adequate talent was as nothing compared to Mozart. The Court as a collection of aristocrats living the conventional life of the times, with a superficial enjoyment of the pretty tunes and daring entertainments presented to them.
What I really enjoyed was the "placing" of Mozart's operas in the narrative of his own life; Salieri fully aware of how the characters and themes in the operas reflected what was happening in Mozart's own life, and Mozart himself apparently totally unconscious of the parallels. Whether this is true or not, I don't care - the drama and juxtaposition of Salieri's musical and emotional knowledge against Mozart's apparently effortless ability was what fascinated me "There are no corrections in these manuscripts - can it be that Mozart just writes everything down perfectly, without alterations, rough copies, mistakes?" Amazing, if true.
I now need to listen to his Serenade in B flat, with Salieri's commentary in my mind. I think this is the one, starting at 19:31 in from the beginning.
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| https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johann_Wilhelm_Baur_Gesellschaft_in_den_G%C3%A4rten_der_Villa_d'Este.jpg |
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