music, travel, parties, and trying the newest confections
...the only thing I love in vocal music is truth, that truth which the incomparable Gluck makes me feel so profoundly throughout and in every detail of his Tragedies, and which I have felt on hearing works of other genres by a few other composers; so I strive to bring truth to all those of my operas which deserve such care...
Antoino Salieri to Carl F. Cramer, Vienna 20 July 1784
REGARDING THE FILM, "AMADEUS"
A young man came to me recently and asked my opinion on this matter. Here is my reply to him.
Peter Schaffer's play, Amadeus, was never intended to be an historical accounting of Mozart's or my life, but rather a story of the effects of envy and jealousy. Unfortunately, people have a tendency to believe that simply because something is presented in film, it must be based in truth. There was very little of the truth to be found in this film.
Some of the myths that this film created were:
a. Mozart and I were arch enemies.
b. I was jealous of Mozart's talent.
c. Mozart had an affair with Catarina Cavallieri, (who was actually my mistress). It is far more likely that Mozart's affair was with Anna "Nancy" Storace, who was his original Susanna in Figaro.
d. I tried to sabotage Figaro. (I wasn't even in Vienna when Figaro was being staged. I was in Paris staging Axur.)
e. I murdered Mozart.
f. Mozart was an immature, giggling, drunken, ninny.
g. I kept Mozart from getting a post with the Emperor.
h. I was present when Mozart died.
i. I had a hand in the penning of Mozart's Requiem.
These are only some of the many myths and untruths perpetrated by this film.
My favorite soprano and my mistress, Catarina Cavalieri
Catarina Cavalieri
A native of Vienna, Catarina Cavalieri (1755 - 1801) was renowned for her fioratura abilities. "She could deliver a torturously demanding bravura aria with every note in place," according to the CD notes by Professor Dorothea Link. Mozart wrote a great deal of memorable music for Cavalieri. In a letter to his father, Mozart spoke of her "agile throat."
Anna Storace, prima buffa of the Italian Opera Company, which was the Emperor's Company. Anna starred in many of my operas and opened at the Burgtheater as the Contessa in my opera, La scuola de' gelosi, in 1783. I regarded Anna as a dear friend and collegue.
Nancy Storace
London-born Nancy Storace (1765 - 1817) possessed all the special qualities of a gifted comic singer: strong acting skills, an engaging stage personality, and fine musicianship. Viennese audiences adored her in lighter, simpler repertoire, and she later enjoyed a long and successful career in English comic opera.
My employer, His Majesty, Emperor Joseph II of Austria, with his sisters. Emperor Joseph was regarded as the "musical king".
The Burgtheater, where my operas were performed in Vienna.
Movies
F. Murry Abraham gave a fine performance in his portrayal of me, however, the story was far from accurate.
The music featured on my profile is the aria, Wenn dem Adler das Gefieder from my opera Der Rauchfangkehrer, composed for soprano Catarina Cavalieri.
Salieri was born August 18th, 1750 in Legnago, Italy. He studied the violin, the organ and the harpsichord in his childhood. He was orphaned early on and at the age of 15 he went to Venice under the patronage of the Mocenigo family. He studied the voice with Pacini and composition with Pescetti. In Venice he met composer and teacher Florian Leopold Gaßmann, who took him under his care and gave him a proper education. Eventually, they moved to Vienna. While attending concerts and musical gatherings with Gaßmann, Salieri became fast friends with the Emperor.
He slowly worked his way into the musical world and began to participate in varied and abundant musical gatherings for the Emperor. He continued his close friendship with the Emperor and performed him many favors, including daily music lessons. The Emperor also helped Salieri with the securing of a wife, whose father objected to Salieri due to the fact that the composer only made 100 ducats as court conductor. Hearing this, he raised Salieri's stipend to 300 ducats, and in return Salieri took over some of the duties of Kapellmeister Bonno, who was in his sixties and experienced poor health due to age and obesity.
Antonio was one of the "new school" opera composers and helped forge a new path for others to follow. In his career he composed over forty operas, most notably "Tarare", "Axur, re D'ormus", "Les Danaides", "Falstaff", "La Grotta di Trofonio", "Armida" and "La Locandiera". His large list of students includes musical greats such as Liszt and Beethoven.
He succeeded Bonno as Kapellmeister in 1788. He was President of the Tönkunstler Societät (a society of musicians' widows and orphans founded by Gaßmann in 1771) until 1818. He was also awarded a gold medal for civic valor on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his stay in Vienna.
The biographer Alexander Wheelock Thayer believes that Mozart's suspicions of Salieri could have originated with an incident in 1781 when Mozart applied to be the music teacher of the Princess of Württemberg. Salieri was selected instead, because of his reputation as a fine voice instructor. In the following year Mozart again failed to be selected as the Princess's piano teacher.
Later, when Mozart's forthcoming Le Nozze di Figaro was not well received by Emperor Joseph II, Mozart blamed Salieri. "Salieri and his tribe will move heaven and earth to put it down", Leopold Mozart wrote to his daughter Nannerl. But at the time of the premiere of Figaro, Salieri was busy with his new French opera Les Horaces and was too busy to be involved in the court politics surrounding Figaro. Thayer believes that the intrigues surrounding the failure of Figaro were instigated by the poet Giovanni Battista Casti against the Court Poet, Lorenzo da Ponte, who wrote the Figaro libretto. In addition, when da Ponte was in Prague preparing the production of Mozart's setting of his Don Giovanni, the poet was ordered back to Vienna for a royal wedding for which Salieri's Axur, Re d'Ormus was to be performed. Obviously, Mozart was not pleased by this.
There is, however, far more evidence of a cooperative relationship between the two composers than one of real enmity. For example, Mozart's widow appointed Salieri to teach their son, Franz Xaver, and when Salieri was appointed Kapellmeister in 1788, he revived Figaro instead of bringing out a new opera of his own. In addition, when he went to the coronation festivities for Leopold II in 1790 he had no fewer than three Mozart masses in his luggage. In the late summer of 1785, Salieri and Mozart composed a cantata for voice and piano together, entitled Per la ricuperata salute di Ophelia, which celebrated the happy return to the stage of the famous singer Nancy Storace. This cantata has been lost, although it was published by Artaria in 1785. Mozart's Davide penitente K.469 (1785), his piano concerto in E flat major K.482 (1785), the clarinet quintet K.581 (1789) and the great symphony in G minor K.550 were all premiered at the suggestion of Salieri, who conducted a performance of the G minor symphony in 1791, the year of Mozart's death. In his last surviving letter from October 14th 1791, Mozart tells his wife that he collected Salieri and his [Salieri's] mistress in his carriage and drove them both to the opera, and about Salieri's attendance at his opera Die Zauberflöte K 620, writing enthusiastically: He heard and saw with all his attention, and from the ouverture to the last choir there was no piece that didn't elicit a bravo or bello out of him...
Salieri fathered eight children and by all accounts was a decent man. He died in a state of delirium in a mental asylum in Vienna in 1825 at the age of seventy-five. On his death bed he begged loyal pupil Beethoven to tell the world that he was innocent of the crime of Mozart's death. Oddly, Salieri confessed to the poisoning days earlier, but his physicians reported that Salieri was delusional and probably suffered from advanced syphilis.
Who I'd like to meet: It is my greatest desire to find Herr Mozart and clear up this little matter concerning my alleged involvement in his death.
I should also desire to meet the head chocolatier at Godiva Chocolates.
May you have a most enjoyable birthday, Maestro Salieri!
I have just arrived in Vienna and am currently resting from my journey. Perhaps when I am rejuvenated we might share a pot of tea and catch up with each other?
Best, Augusta Leigh
P.S. I had this charming little confectionery just one block over prepare this treat in honour of your day.
Many happy returns of the day Sir. I am making arrangements to visit my son in Vienna before summer is over; perhaps your would allow me to take you to lunch.
I hope you have the strength to lift all those sweets you are no doubt receiving for your birthday, Signor Antonio; Caterina seems to have put on a couple of pounds.
It has been too long since I have spoken with you. I hope you are quite well and I trust that the muse has blessed you indubitably. Please enjoy this enclosed sweet as a small reminder of my constant friendship. I am off to court at Kew, but I am planning a trip to the continent this autumn, and I do hope that I may call upon you at that time.
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