Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...RIP

Yu11375...I read the essay. Thanks for the reference. It is packed with great detail about Mozart, far too much to be incorporated in a Play or movie. It is exactly what one would expect from a historian (my dad was one).

For example: Why did the movie leave out their children, who mostly died? Because that aspect, while historically true, had no bearing on the overall story, and would only weaken the dramatic impact. A very reasonable artistic decision, that would only annoy historians.

All in all, after reading the essay I still think that the movie runs as close to facts as most historically-based fiction, and the overall picture that it paints is very believable even if some of the "factual" details are only interpolations of reality.

Speaking as a fan of the movie,allow me to recommend Maynard Soloman's biography of Mozart.(He also did a Beethoven biography.)

The strengh of Soloman's biographies is that English is his native language. Biographies translated from German read like,well,books translated from another language.

Maynard Soloman's biographies are very subjective and authoritative.

On the way to office this morning Mozart’s symphonies performed by Klemperer accompanied me. What a drive!

Happy Listening.

Otto

Mozart is indeed a genius of music. Love his opera and horn concerto. The movie is just a movie. My friend told me that the people in Vienna hate that movie when he visited Europe. People there think the story is distorted and too much Hollywood. Eldartford, if read the other thread carefully, you were the person started the arguement. No one demote Mozart there, but some Mozart fans insist Beethoven is overrated.

Choosing Tom Hulce to play Mozart in punky-pink wigs and having him act like an american brat really dates "Amadeus" now, IMHO. I always felt the composer could have been portrayed as a deeper, more substantial character, though not without humor. The letters he wrote might have served as resources to gain a better understanding of his true personality. No wonder the Viennese don't like "Amadeus".