Amadeus

- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. - Antonio Salieri.

The whole reason why I came to Vienna

was to write for the Imperial Opera.

Yuck, who wrote this?

Can I change it?

Oh, my goodness!

- Bravo! - Fantastic!

Thank you!

Court Composer.

It's an honour to serve the Crown.

I want you to succeed here.

Herr Mozart!

Hello!

It used to be that I could find His voice

as easily as I found my own.

- His? - God's.

Oh, yes. Him.

It was just too many notes.

Just because you're stuck rehashing boring old operas

doesn't mean I have to be.

Maybe God doesn't speak to you because you fucking bore him.

Perhaps it was in that moment

I knew I was going to kill Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

You're shocked.

I don't blame you.

It's a shocking thing to hear.

Why?

Why share this with me?

Why not tell this to a priest or a constable?

You and I have no great bond.

Or had you forgotten what you did?

But we have the greatest bond, Frau Mozart.

We have him.

Herr Mozart?

They're ready for you.

I expected better of you, you know.

Antonio!

Herr Salieri! And Frau Salieri.

It's The Salieris! You came!

- Well, of course we came! - Congratulations.

Thank you so much, thank you!

Your bride is on a table.

Yes! I... I don't know why!

You know, I've been thinking about it

and I forgive you for what happened when you didn't defend me.

I really do. I mean, I understand it now

you're in a very difficult position.

We all know how beholden you are to this Emperor.

All the constraints and the rules.

It's no wonder that some of your things don't fly!

You're like a big, beautiful bird in a cage!

I could never do what you do

it would drive me absolutely fucking mad.

I heard there's a new one coming though, is that true?

Yes. La scuola de' gelosi .

La scuola de' gelato !

Ice cream school!

Gelosi.

Gelosi, the school of jealousy.

Well, Stanze's sister is going up for a part.

A very good singer.

Completely fucking mental, but lovely singing voice.

Please make yourselves at home.

Enjoy these sausages and gherkins.

He didn't come to the wedding.

Who?

My father.

Neither did mine.

But I suppose he is dead so I have to forgive him.

You should write to him.

Tell him off.

Maybe I will.

Come now. You're getting better, Your Majesty.

What's the punishment for lying to an Emperor, do you think?

Is it flogging or beheading?

There are people in this palace who'd drag you out into the garden

and beat you to death with rocks if I asked them to.

All of them actually.

You still have some way to go

but you are improving, Majesty.

My niece Elizabeth is coming to Vienna.

She needs a music tutor, lest she ends up like her uncle.

The Princess?

Your Majesty, I would be honoured to...

I'm sure you would, Court Composer

but, no, I think the Princess would like somebody a little bit more...

- A bit more? - I don't know.

Vibrant. Well, she's young.

You understand what I'm trying to say.

Yes, I think I do, Sir.

She had a rather fun idea.

How about Mozart?

- Mozart? - I think she might rather like that.

He tutors, surely? I've heard the boy play.

I mean, God, if he can rub some of that off on my niece

then so much the better.

How is he, anyway?

I was worried that he was a bit wounded by my critique

on his opening night.

Well, he's written about 200 concertos

and gotten married since then

so I think he's doing fine, Sir.

Yes, I was hoping that he might be given a chance

to write something new for us.

Another brothel-set fantasy with "too many notes", perhaps?

Perhaps a little more judiciousness in your handling of him next time.

But, you know, it's funny, I went away from that opera

and I couldn't stop thinking about it.

It got under my skin somehow.

We need to be bolder, Antonio.

You were right, getting you to re-stage Tarare, it was...

- A success? - Safe.

A copy of a Parisian hit, that's what my sister called it.

No, courage is what's needed now.

Courage in court and in government.

We need to be brave, Antonio. Hm?

Brave men win the day, do they not?

Of course, Your Majesty.

I'll let you give Mozart the good news about Elizabeth.

Wonderful.

My goodness, Rupert.

Have you been practising?

Yes.

Yes. No, I can tell! You've really improved, haven't you?

I kid, of course.

I jest, I jape, I make merry.

I can tell that you're lying, Rupert.

I can tell that you have not been practising.

In fact, what you just produced leads me to question

whether you haven't actually discovered something

that is sort of the reverse of practising.

A kind of not practising so powerful

as to completely undo all of the accumulated knowledge

of our previous session. A sort of anti-practice.

Have you cultivated an irrational fear of competency, perhaps?

Did somebody perform rudimentary surgery

and replace your ten fingers with flaccid baby cocks, Rupert?

Do you have flaccid baby cocks for fingers, Rupert?

Have you even touched this fucking harpsichord a single time

since I walked out of that door a week ago?

No, I didn't think so.

And that's why you're not playing it very well.

Now, I'm going to go and use your privy

in the hope that the noise of my intestinal fluctuations

are more pleasing than whatever the fuck

you just tried to fart out of these keys.

- Baby cocks for fingers? - Yes.

You're going to run out of students.

Don't worry, everybody in this town wants to learn the violin

or the forte piano or the fucking triangle.

You got a letter.

From your father. It came while you were asleep.

Like an assassin.

Let me see.

Don't worry, it's just his way.

He doesn't deserve you.

He definitely deserves me. Poor old bastard.

Right.

I might be a little bit late this evening.

Bring some people back with me. Do you mind?

No.

Your sister is a great talent.

Yes.

I'm sorry, you did want to see me, didn't you?

- Yes. Yes. - Aloysia said that you... yes.

I hear your husband lost another pupil.

Yes, he did.

- Yeah. - Well, as luck would have it

a new job has become available.

A Royal appointment, actually. Princess Elizabeth.

A Princess?

The Princess.

Now, tutoring her is a position

that will hold significant standing in the court and beyond.

I mean, he... he'd be perfect for it.

He's a brilliant tutor.

My playing has come on so much and that's just...

I was wondering if you might bring me his manuscripts

so that I can properly consider his work

make his case to the Emperor.

Yes. Of course.

Bring the works to my residence. Newer ones if possible.

And I ask that we keep this strictly between us.

Absolutely.

Well, I will... I'll go and get them right away.

- Thank you. - Alright.

A young lady is here to see you, sir.

Yes.

Send her in.

Constanze.

- Herr Salieri. - Come on, please, Antonio.

Help yourself to a treat. They're from Werners.

My footman gets them, do you know Werners in town?

Very good bakery.

So these are his newest works?

All from the last month or so.

All this from the last month?

Or so.

Do you think I could keep these? You know, to... to look over.

I don't think that