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| Images from the National Theatre web site |
An ambitious production melding classical music with melodrama, theology and comedy, Amadeus follows the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the jealous eyes of Vienna's incumbent court composer Antonio Salieri. Once you get past the strangely lethargic and dreary opening monologue, Salieri springs out of his wheelchair and back in time to when Mozart first arrives in Vienna. The play also springs to life, harmoniously working extracts of soaring Mozart's operas into the narrative, which traces how Salieri comes to terms with the fact that he is a mediocre composer and that Mozart, rather than him, is God's instrument on earth. At times the storyline's exploration of the nature of genius and its impact on others is both compelling and entertaining. In one memorable scene, Salieri plays a dull welcome march he has composed for Mozart. A little while later, the prodigy vaults over to the harpsichord and plays Salieri's march back by memory, embellishing it with flourishes that ultimately transform it into a fine piece of music.
