Amadeus

The Emperor's commissioned me to write another opera.

Fancy putting some words to the music?

But you're working for me!

He played me some of it.

From this time on, we are enemies.

They don't see him much at church on Sundays anymore.

He stole my librettist!

How's the marriage of Mozart?

You're leaving Vienna?

I saw you sing last year.

I still think about it.

You're writing it for your wife?

- Yes. - You could just talk to her.

This is how I talk.

November is a long time to be alone.

Yes, it is.

He's refusing to reveal what his opera is even about.

You're the Kapellmeister now, Salieri.

If the audience are moved to leave the theatre

and march on the palace demanding my head

then you have my permission to shut it down.

Our Emperor rides to war and you incite a mob?

You couldn't hear it, could you?

He had secured greatness.

Well, who could that be knocking at my door at this hour?

I had your footman call for a doctor on my way here.

A kindly physician come to administer a tonic?

Or rough men with rough hands come to drag me away?

Perhaps your treatment will depend on what I say to them.

I'd like you to finish your story, Kapellmeister. We still have time.

Do you know what always puzzled me?

That in the moments of my greatest wickedness, I was never punished.

The more abhorrent my behaviour

the more I waited for God's retribution

and it... it never came.

In fact, the opposite was true.

I was rewarded for it.

I watched Bonno die

I was given his position.

I committed infidelities and nothing.

Nothing ever happened.

But there are always consequences.

There is always a reckoning.

Figaro was shut down.

I had truly blocked Mozart for the first time.

And I awaited God's response to my challenge

but He did not seem to defend His creature.

Amadeus lost more pupils.

Money became so tight, he had to downsize his apartment.

Even my introduction of Herr Sussmayr

had yielded more than I suspected.

Well, I love his music.

I do, ever since I heard it through the floorboards of my mother's house

I've loved it. But...

What?

It's not enough.

Wolfgang

my leg has been troubling me

and the doctor thinks some time away would be good for me.

He thinks I should take the waters in Baden.

Does he?

Just for a month or two, maybe.

Karl can go and stay with my mother and sisters for a while

I'll send for him later on.

And you can have one of these if you like.

I'll send word to you when I get there.

Okay, Karl, before you go, can I show you a little magic trick?

Are you listening?

One more time.

You see?

Now that's in your head

when you go down for bed tonight, you might hear it.

And then you'll think of me, won't you?

Yeah.

Here we go.

There you go.

You might hear it too.

Bye, Karl.

Kapellmeister.

Not interrupting, am I?

Yes. But no more than the soldiers.

What do you need, Johan?

I heard some news this morning from my lodge, The Masons.

I'm a Brother there, you know?

Yes, I had heard that.

We'd be very keen in having you join us, by the way.

Bless you, but I... I serve only one master.

Yes, of course. Well, this morning

I heard that one of our Brotherhood had passed away suddenly.

Oh, dear. Who?

Who?

Antonio.

They told me this was

well, they told me this is where you're living now.

Yes, what do you think?

- Well... - I'm joking. It's a shit hole.

I know it is. Don't worry, we'll be back somewhere nicer soon.

Is Constanze here, no?

She's in Baden. Do you know Baden?

It's a lovely spa town.

She gets this thing with her legs.

The waters help apparently. I don't know.

Mozart

your father has died.

I received the news this morning from the Brotherhood.

Right.

I see.

When... when did he...

Two days ago.

I wanted to be the one to tell you.

I thought it might help to have the news

delivered by a friendly face.

Is that what you are?

Mozart

many composers view the Kapellmeister as an adversary.

But I'm not.

I'm really not.

Of course.

Well, thank you for letting me know.

I prefer to be on my own now though, I think.

Of course. Absolutely.

If you need anything

anything.

My condolences, Wolfgang.

"Here rests a bird called Starling

a foolish little Darling.

He was still in his prime

when he ran out of time.

And my sweet little friend

came to a bitter end.

Gentle crowd! Shed a tear, for he was dear.

I bet he is now up on high

praising my friendship to the sky.

For when he took his sudden leave

"which brought to me such grief."

To a good companion.

That's the first time I've been to a bird's funeral, that's for sure.

Well, he was quite a creature.

It's not one to listen to on a hangover.

- What is it? - Our next opera.

- Our next opera? - Our next Opera.

And what's it about?

What do you think of it so far?

I think we rather get the point, don't we?

The man's an unrepentant fornicator.

A thousand women in Spain?

A thousand and three.

A thousand and three. Well, there you go.

Have you spoken to the Emperor yet?

Not yet.

I was advised that he wasn't in the mood for conversing.

How long has he been back from the front? So to speak.

Two weeks. He didn't want to leave

but his health has been poor.

Does anyone know if we're winning?

Winning what?

The war.

Of course, we're winning.

Yes, of course. Emphatically!

Well, that's a relief.

What did you think?

I thought he looked pale. Mozart.

Did you see him? Swaying at the podium. He doesn't look well.

Probably been drinking.

I hear that's how he spends most of his time these days.

I'm enjoying it. I found it rather

tuneful.

- Tuneful? - Yes. Tuneful.

Antonio, wouldn't you agree?

No, I wouldn't. I'd say the whole thing's rather thin so far.

Let's hope the second half gives us something more

to chew on.

I watched that performance on opening night.

I heard those words, I listened to that music and I knew.

He'd opened himself up.

Revealed the darkest parts of his being.

I saw it then

his damaged mind, the naked ugliness of his grief and guilt.

There in that demonic figure on stage was his own father

and in that poor wretched philanderer, Mozart himself.

Punished for his sins

his puckish ebullience, his insolent virility.

I saw his open wound

and through it, his barely beating heart.

And I knew exactly where, in time, I would place the final blade.

Bravo, Maestro.

It's... well, it's a triumph.

Thank you.

You don't seem well, sir. If you don't mind my saying.

I'm fine.

I... I didn't see your wife in the audience.

No. She's still away.

She's been gone a long time.

Well, I hope you're looking after yourself.

The...

Brotherhood has been looking after me.

The Freemasons?

Yes. They've been keeping me afloat since Father died.

A few commissions. It's all charity, really.

But I'll pay them back when I can, obviously.