Originating at the National Theatre of Great Britain, Amadeus was the recipient of both the Evening Standard Drama Award and the Theatre Critics Award. In the United States, the play won the coveted Tony Award and went on to become a critically acclaimed major motion picture winning eight Oscars, including Best Picture.
Now, this extraordinary work about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is available with a new preface by Peter Shaffer and a new introduction by the director of the 1998 Broadway revival, Sir Peter Hall. Amadeus is a must-have for classical music buffs, theatre lovers, and aficionados of historical fiction.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
By Gregory Baird (Morristown, NJ)
The film version of "Amadeus" is perhaps my favorite movie of all time. So I was a little nervous when, after picking up the play, I read that it would be very different from the movie. But I needn't have feared because, while there are several key differences, the heart of the story and the genius of its telling are equally prevalent. There is an intriguing alteration to the character of Salieri here in that he feels remorse for what he does to Mozart when confronted with the results of his machinations -- making him much more human and layered than his celluloid counterpart. The truly wonderful thing is that both forms are spectacular -- F. Murray Abraham's Salieri a brazen and histrionic devil to the printed Salieri who becomes horrified by what he has been reduced to in his quest for glory. As drama goes, you can't do much better than the exquisite "Amadeus". Shaffer's labor and its myriad incarnations have only served to deepen the play's message and painstakingly evolved it into the brilliant work presented here. It is undoubtedly one of the great masterpieces of theater, and will surely stand the test of time in future generations.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
By R. Chaffey "beckahi" (Chicago)
I first became familiar with this story after seeing the movie "Amadeus." The movie made me curious about the facts in the lives of its two main characters, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. While not necessarily factual, this play by Peter Shaffer is an intelligent and fascinating examination of two men's suffering: pain in both mediocrity and genius.
The play is fast-paced and a relatively easy read. Shaffer paints an elaborate picture of both composer's lives during the time in which they lived. Shaffer's portrait of Salieri is richly written, his thoughts are revealed to the reader/audience through direct speeches and sidebars. Characters act as moving set pieces - their dialogue starting or ending as they carry furniture on and off stage to change scenes.
Shaffer's play is an examination into the ruin of both men. Mozart is ruined by his lifestyle and his lack of funding; the citizens and rulers of Vienna find him rude and offensive. They fail to understand the unfamiliar directions his genius is taking the musical world. Salieri is ruined by his fall into mediocrity and obscurity when Mozart arrives in town, the musician blessed by God, and through his plots that lead to Mozart's downfall. While much about the play is based on speculation, it never rings false because of the strong portrayls of each man.
Having just recently seen this version of the play performed, it is obvious why Shaffer struggled with getting the character of Salieri "just right." He finds absolution in his final act - confessing his sins to his created audience, and not to the creator he once yearned to serve.
3 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
By JR Pinto (New Jersey)
This is, quite simply, one of the finest modern plays ever written for the theater. If you think you don't have to read it because you've seen the movie, think again. They RADICALLY altered the stage play for the screen. The film may look better - but most of the brillance of Peter Shaffer's incredible dialogue is lost. Some of it still remains in the scenes where Salieri is an old man. The play, however, is almost a dramatic monologue delivered by Salieri. Shaffer has an uncanny knack for dialogue and this is his second best play next to Equus. The funny thing is, even though they gutted the text for the film, the film is actually much LONGER than the play. If you liked the movie, have any interest in Mozart - or any interest in great plays, for that matter - read Amadeus.
Get A Copy Of "Amadeus: A Play by Peter Shaffer (Paperback) By Peter Shaffer"
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Now, this extraordinary work about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is available with a new preface by Peter Shaffer and a new introduction by the director of the 1998 Broadway revival, Sir Peter Hall. Amadeus is a must-have for classical music buffs, theatre lovers, and aficionados of historical fiction.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
By Gregory Baird (Morristown, NJ)
The film version of "Amadeus" is perhaps my favorite movie of all time. So I was a little nervous when, after picking up the play, I read that it would be very different from the movie. But I needn't have feared because, while there are several key differences, the heart of the story and the genius of its telling are equally prevalent. There is an intriguing alteration to the character of Salieri here in that he feels remorse for what he does to Mozart when confronted with the results of his machinations -- making him much more human and layered than his celluloid counterpart. The truly wonderful thing is that both forms are spectacular -- F. Murray Abraham's Salieri a brazen and histrionic devil to the printed Salieri who becomes horrified by what he has been reduced to in his quest for glory. As drama goes, you can't do much better than the exquisite "Amadeus". Shaffer's labor and its myriad incarnations have only served to deepen the play's message and painstakingly evolved it into the brilliant work presented here. It is undoubtedly one of the great masterpieces of theater, and will surely stand the test of time in future generations.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
By R. Chaffey "beckahi" (Chicago)
I first became familiar with this story after seeing the movie "Amadeus." The movie made me curious about the facts in the lives of its two main characters, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. While not necessarily factual, this play by Peter Shaffer is an intelligent and fascinating examination of two men's suffering: pain in both mediocrity and genius.
The play is fast-paced and a relatively easy read. Shaffer paints an elaborate picture of both composer's lives during the time in which they lived. Shaffer's portrait of Salieri is richly written, his thoughts are revealed to the reader/audience through direct speeches and sidebars. Characters act as moving set pieces - their dialogue starting or ending as they carry furniture on and off stage to change scenes.
Shaffer's play is an examination into the ruin of both men. Mozart is ruined by his lifestyle and his lack of funding; the citizens and rulers of Vienna find him rude and offensive. They fail to understand the unfamiliar directions his genius is taking the musical world. Salieri is ruined by his fall into mediocrity and obscurity when Mozart arrives in town, the musician blessed by God, and through his plots that lead to Mozart's downfall. While much about the play is based on speculation, it never rings false because of the strong portrayls of each man.
Having just recently seen this version of the play performed, it is obvious why Shaffer struggled with getting the character of Salieri "just right." He finds absolution in his final act - confessing his sins to his created audience, and not to the creator he once yearned to serve.
3 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
By JR Pinto (New Jersey)
This is, quite simply, one of the finest modern plays ever written for the theater. If you think you don't have to read it because you've seen the movie, think again. They RADICALLY altered the stage play for the screen. The film may look better - but most of the brillance of Peter Shaffer's incredible dialogue is lost. Some of it still remains in the scenes where Salieri is an old man. The play, however, is almost a dramatic monologue delivered by Salieri. Shaffer has an uncanny knack for dialogue and this is his second best play next to Equus. The funny thing is, even though they gutted the text for the film, the film is actually much LONGER than the play. If you liked the movie, have any interest in Mozart - or any interest in great plays, for that matter - read Amadeus.
Get A Copy Of "Amadeus: A Play by Peter Shaffer (Paperback) By Peter Shaffer"
