Amadeus

Nine performances! Nine! That's all it's had - and withdrawn.

SALIERI

I know; it's outrageous. Still, if the public doesn't like one's work

one has to accept the fact gracefully.

MOZART

But what is it they don't like?

SALIERI

Well, I can speak for the Emperor. You made too many demands

on the royal ear. The poor man can't concentrate for more than

an hour and you gave him four.

MOZART

What did you think of it yourself? Did you like it at all?

SALIERI

I think it's marvelous. Truly.

MOZART

It's the best opera yet written. I know it! Why didn't they come?

SALIERI

I think you overestimate our dear Viennese, my friend. Do you

know you didn't even give them a good bang at the end of songs

so they knew when to clap?

MOZART

I know, I know. Perhaps you should give me some lessons in that.

SALIERI

(fuming)

I wouldn't presume. All the same, if it wouldn't be imposing, I

would like you to see my new piece. It would be a tremendous

honour for me.

MOZART

Oh no, the honour would be all mine.

SALIERI

(bowing)

Grazie, mio caro, Wolfgang!

MOZART

Grazie, a lei, Signor Antonio!

He bows too, giggling.

CUT TO:

127 INT. OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 127

A performance of Salieri's grand opera, Axur: King of Ormus. Deafening ap-

plause from a crowded house. We see the reception of the aria which we saw

Cavalieri singing on the stage near the start of the film. Cavalieri, in a mythologi-

cal Persian costume, is bowing to the rapturous throng; below her is Salieri. We see

the Emperor, Von Strack, Orsini-Rosenberg, Bonno and Von Swieten, all applaud-

ing. We hear great cries of 襍alieri! Salieri! and 褺ravo! and 褺rava!

CU, Salieri looking at the crowd with immense pleasure. Then suddenly at:

CU, Mozart standing in a box and clapping wildly. Behind him, seated, are

Schikaneder and the three girls we saw before in Mozart's apartment.

CU, Salieri staring fixedly at Mozart, then Mozart still clapping, apparently with

tremendous enthusiasm.

OLD SALIERI

(V.O.)

What was this? I never saw him excited before by any music but

his own. Could he mean it?

128 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 128

OLD SALIERI

(to Vogler)

Would he actually tell me my music had moved him? Was I re-

ally going to hear that from his own lips? I found myself actually

hurrying the tempo of the finale.

CUT BACK TO:

129 INT. OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 129

Salieri conducting the last scene from Axur: King of Ormus. On stage we see a big

scene of acclamation: the hero and heroine of the opera accepting the crown

amidst the rejoicing of the people. The decor and costumes are mythological

Persian. The music is utterly conventional and totally uninventive.

CU, Mozart watching this in his box, with Schikaneder and the three actresses. He

passes an open bottle of wine to them. He is evidently a little drunk, but keeps a

poker face.

The act comes to an end. Great applause in which Mozart joins in, standing and

shouting 褺ravo! Bravo! Then he leaves the box with Schikaneder and the girls.

130 INT. CORRIDOR OF THE OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 130

MOZART

(to Schikaneder)

Well?

SCHIKANEDER

(mock moved)

Sublime! Utterly sublime!

MOZART

That kind of music should be punishable by death.

Schikaneder laughs.

CUT TO:

131 INT. STAGE OF THE OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 131

A crowd of people rings Salieri at a respectful distance. The Emperor is holding

out the Civilian Medal and Chain.

JOSEPH

I believe that is the best opera yet written, my friends. Salieri, you

are the brightest star in the musical firmament. You do honour to

Vienna and to me.

Salieri bows his head. Joseph places the chain around his neck. The crowd claps.

Salieri makes to kiss his hand, but Joseph restrains him, and passes on. Cavalieri,

smiling adoringly, gives him a deep curtsey, and he raises her up.

The crowd all flock to Salieri with cries and words of approval. All want to shake

his hand. They tug and pat him. But he has eyes for only one man - he looks

about him, searching for him and then finds him. Mozart stands there. Eagerly

Salieri moves to him.

SALIERI

Mozart. It was good of you to come.

MOZART

How could I not?

SALIERI

Did my work please you?

MOZART

How could it not, Excellency?

SALIERI

Yes?

MOZART

I never knew that music like that was possible.

SALIERI

You flatter me.

MOZART

Oh no! One hears such sounds and what can one say, but -

Salieri!

Salieri smiles.

CUT TO:

132 INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1780's 132

Explosive laughter as Mozart and Schikaneder enter the apartment, very pleased

with themselves and accompanied by the three actresses. The front door opens,

very gingerly. Mozart, still rather drunk, sticks his head into the room, anxious not

to make a noise. He sees the strangers and breaks into a smile.

MOZART

Oh. Everybody's here! We've got guests. Good. I've brought

some more.

He opens the door wide to admit Schikaneder and the girls.

MOZART

We'll have a little party. Come in. Come in. You know Herr

Schikaneder? (to a girl) This is! a very nice girl.

CONSTANZE

(standing up)

Wolfi.

MOZART

Yes, my love?

CONSTANZE

These gentlemen are from Salzburg.

MOZART

Salzburg. We were just talking about Salzburg. (to the two men,

jubilantly) If you've come from my friend the Fartsbishop, you've

arrived at just the right moment. Because I've got good news for

him. I'm done with Vienna. It's over, finished, done with! Done

with! Done with!

CONSTANZE

Wolfi! Your father is dead.

MOZART

What?

CONSTANZE

Your father is dead.

The first loud chord of the Statue scene from Don Giovanni sounds. Mozart

stares.

133 INT. AN OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 133

The second chord sounds. On stage we see the huge figure of the Commendatore

in robes and helmet, extending his arms and pointing in accusation.

133A INT. AN OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 133A

The second chord sounds.

On stage we see a huge nailed fist crash through the wall of a painted dining room

set. The giant armoured statue of the COMMENDATORE enters pointing his

finger in accusation at Don Giovanni who sits at the supper table, staring - his ser-

vant Leporello quaking with fear under the table.

THE COMMENDATORE

(singing)

Don Giovanni!

The figure advances on the libertine. We see Mozart conducting, pale and deeply

involved. Music fades down a little.

OLD SALIERI

(V.O.)

So rose the dreadful ghost in his next and blackest opera. There

on the stage stood the figure of a dead commander calling out

襌epent! Repent!

The music swells. We see Salieri standing alone in the back of a box, unseen, in

semi-darkness. We also see that the theatre is only half full. Music fades down.

OLD SALIERI

(V.O.)

And I knew - only I understood - that the horrifying apparition

was Leopold, raised from the dead. Wolfgang had actually

summoned up his own father to accuse his son before all the

world. It was terrifying and wonderful to watch.

Music swells up again. We watch the scene on stage as the Commendatore ad-

dresses Giovanni. Then back to Salieri in the box. Music down again.

134 INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823 134

OLD SALIERI

Now a madness began in me. The madness of a man splitting in

half. Through my influence I saw to it Don Giovanni was played

only five times in Vienna. But in secret I went to every one of

those five - all alone - unable to help myself, worshipping sound

I alone seemed to hear.

135 INT. AN OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT - 1780's 135

OLD SALIERI

(V.O.)

And hour after hour, as I stood there, understanding even more

clearly how that bitter old man was still possessing his poor son

from beyond the grave, I began to see a way - a terrible way - I

could finally triumph over God, my torturer.

Music swells. On stage Don Giovanni is seized and gripped by the Statue's icy

hand. Flames burst from obviously artificial rocks. Demons appear and drag the

libertine down to Hell. The scene ends.

CU, Salieri, staring wide-eyed.

CUT TO:

135A EXT. SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - VIENNA - NIGHT - 1780's 135A

We see huge and attractive posters and billboards advertising Schikaneder's troupe.

The camera concentrates on the one which reads as follows:

EMMANUEL SCHIKANEDER

Impresario de luxe

Presents

The Celebrated

SCHIKANEDER TROUPE OF PLAYERS

in

An Evening of

PARODY

Music! Mirth! Magic!

ALL SONGS AND SPEECHES WRITTEN

BY

EMMANUEL SCHIKANEDER

who personally will appear in every scene!

CUT TO:

136 INT. SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - NIGHT - 1780's 136

Noise; smoke; the audience is sitting at tables for an evening of vaudeville. Mozart,

Constanze and their son Karl, now about two years old, and sitting on his mother's

lap, are watching a parody scene by Schikaneder's troupe. They are rowdy, bawdy

and silly, incorporating motifs, situations and tunes from Mozart's operas which we

have seen and heard. Before them on the table are bottles of wine and beer, plates

of sausages, etc.

THE PARODY

On stage we see a set which parodies the dining room in Don Giovanni's palace,

shown before.

Schikaneder as Don Giovanni is dancing with the three actresses to the minuet

from Don Giovanni (end of Act I), played by a quartet of tipsy musicians.

Leporello is handing around wine on a tray.

Suddenly there is a tremendous knocking from outside. The music slithers to a

stop. All look at each other in panic. Leporello drops his tray with a crash. All go

quiet. One more knock is heard. Then all musicians, actresses, Don Giovanni and

Leporello make a dash to hide under the table which is far too small to accommo-

date them all. The table rocks. Schikaneder is pushed out. He is terrified. He

shakes elaborately. Three more knocks are heard; louder.

SCHIKANEDER

Who is it?

One more knock.

SCHIKANEDER

C-c-c-come in!

In the pit a chromatic scale from the Overture to Don Giovanni turns into a antici-

patory vamp. This grows more and more menacing until the whole flat represent-

ing the wall at the back falls down. An absurd pantomime horse gallops in. It has

a ridiculous expression, and is manned by four men inside. Standing precariously

on its back is a dwarf, wearing a miniature version of the armour and helmet worn

by the Commendatore. He sings in a high, nasal voice:

COMMENDATORE

(singing)

Don Giovannnnnnnnnni!

He tries to keep his balance as he trots in, but fails. He falls off onto the stage. He

beats at the horse, trying to get back on.

COMMENDATORE

Down! Down!

Bewildered, the horse looks about him, but cannot see his small rider who is below

his level of sight.

COMMENDATORE

I'm here! I'm here!

The horse, amidst laughter from the audience, fails to locate him. Exasperated,

the dwarf signals to someone in the wings. A tall man strides out carrying a see-

saw; on his shoulders stands another man. The dwarf stands on the lowered end of

the see-saw. There is a drum roll and the man above jumps down onto the raised

end and the Commendatore is abruptly catapulted back onto the horse, only

backwards so that he is facing away from Don Giovanni. The two men bow to the

applauding audience, and retire off-stage. The Commendatore tries to extend his

arms in the proper menacing attitude, and at the same time turn around to face

Don Giovanni. This he finds difficult.

COMMENDATORE

(singing)

Don Giovannnnnnnni!

SCHIKANEDER

Who the devil are you? What do you want?

COMMENDATORE

(singing)

I've come to dinnnnnner!

SCHIKANEDER

Dinner? How dare you? I am a nobleman. I only dine with

people of my own height.

COMMENDATORE

Are you drunk? You invited me. And my horse. Here he is.

Ottavio!

The horse takes a bow. The dwarf almost falls off again.

COMMENDATORE

Whoa! Whoa! Stop it!

The three girls rush to his aid and reach him just in time. They sing in the manner

of the Tree Ladies later to be put into The Magic Flute.

FIRST LADY

(running and singing)

Be careful!

SECOND LADY

(running and singing)

Be careful!

THIRD LADY

(running and singing)

Be careful!

ALL THREE TOGETHER

(close harmony)

Hold tight now!

They grab him.

COMMENDATORE

(angry)

Leave me alone! Stop it! I'm a famous horseman.

OTTAVIO

And I'm a famous horse!

He gives the ladies a radiant smile. The three ladies sing, as before, in close

harmony.

FIRST LADY

(singing)

He's adorable!

SECOND LADY

(singing)

Adorable!

THIRD LADY

(singing)

Adorable!

An orchestral chord. The three ladies turn to Ottavio and sing to him.

THREE LADIES

(singing together)

Give me your hoof, my darling,

And I'll give you my heart!

Take me to your stable,

And never more we'll part!

OTTAVIO

(singing: four male voices)

I'm shy and very bashful. I don't know what to say.

THREE LADIES

(singing together)

Don't hesitate a second. Just answer yes and neigh.

Ottavio neighs loudly, and runs at the girls.

COMMENDATORE

(speaking)

Stop it. What are you doing? Remember who you are! You're a

horse and they are whores.

Boos from the audience.

SCHIKANEDER

(speaking)

This is ridiculous. I won't have any of it. You're turning my

house into a circus!

A trapeze sails in from above. On it stands a grand soprano wearing an elaborate

Turkish costume, like a parody of Cavalieri's in Il Seraglio. She comes in singing a

mad coloratura scale in the manner of Martern aller Arten.

SCHIKANEDER

(speaking)

Shut up. Women, women, women! I'm sick to death of them.

He marches off stage.

SOPRANO

(singing dramatically)

Dash me! Bash me! Lash me! Flay me! Slay me! At last I will

be freed by death!

COMMENDATORE

Shut up.

SOPRANO

(swinging and singing)

Kill me! Kill me! Kill me! Kill me! At last I shall be freed by

death. At last I shall be freed by dea -

The Commendatore pulls out his sword, reaches up and thrusts her through with

it. The soprano collapses on the bar of the trapeze. The audience applauds. At the

same moment eight dwarves march in bearing a huge cauldron of steaming water.

They sing as they march to the sound of the march that was cut from Act III of

Figaro. They are dressed as miniature copies of the chorus in that scene except that

they are wearing cooks' hats.

EIGHT DWARVES

(singing)

We're going to make a soprano stew!

We're going to make a soprano stew!

And when you make a soprano stew!

Any stupid soprano will do!

Any stew-stew-stew-stew-stew!

Any stewpid soprano will do!

They set the giant pot down in the middle of the stage. The trapeze with the dead

soprano is still swinging above the stage.

We hear the chromatic scale from the Don Giovanni overture again, repeated and

repeated, only now fast and tremolando. To this exciting vamp Schikaneder sud-

denly rides in on a real horse, waving a real sword. With this he cuts the string of

the trapeze, and the soprano falls into the pot. A tremendous splash of water.

Schikaneder rides out. More applause.

All the dwarves produce long wooden cooking spoons and climb up the sides of

the pot. The three girls produce labeled bottles from under their skirts. The first

is SALT.

FIRST LADY

(singing)

Behold!

PEPPER

SECOND LADY

(singing)

Behold!

She sneezes.

And SCHNAPPS

THIRD LADY

(singing)

Behold!

She hiccups.

They throw them into the pot.

COMMENDATORE

(speaking to the dwarves)

How long does it take to cook a soprano?

DWARVES

(all together)

Five hours, five minutes, five seconds.

COMMENDATORE

(speaking)

I can't wait that long. I'm starving!

OTTAVIO

(speaking; four voices)

So am I.

Schikaneder marches in as Figaro.

SCHIKANEDER

(singing to the tune of Non piu ante)

In the pot, I have got a good dinner.

Not a sausage or stew, but a singer.

Not a sausage or stew but a singer.

Is the treat that I'll eat for my meat!

COMMENDATORE

Oh shut up. I'm sick to death of that tune.

CU, Mozart laughing delightedly with the audience.

THE THREE GIRLS

(singing again to the horse)

Give me your hoof, my darling, and I'll give you my heart.

COMMENDATORE

Shut up. I'm sick of that one too.

All the dwarves climb up the rim of the pot. As they climb, they all hum together

the opening of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

COMMENDATORE

And that one, too!

The soprano rises, dripping with water in the middle of the pot.

SOPRANO

(singing)