Priscilla Hammonds MUHI 100 Sec 1 March 5, 2013 Amadaeus in Relation to the Classical Era and Music in Society

Classical era or classical spirit can be used to describe a period of time in the arts between 1750 and 1825. In music, this meant a switch to simpler style than the previous eras. The melodies became symmetrical with balanced phrases and cadences. Harmonies were mostly diatonic and involved the seven tones of a major minor scale. Dance rhythms were common and dynamics varied continuously with crescendos and decrescendos. (Machlis) One of the periods most influential composers is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The fictional portrayal of Mozarts life in Amadeus not only does a good job displaying the classical spirit, but also the interaction of those involved in music and society. Composers in Mozarts time worked mostly as servants to wealthy people. There was opportunity to work as teachers, but in order to gain pupils, they had to gain recognition. This recognition was gained from service to these upperclassmen, mostly royalty. Mozart spent many years working in the royal court at Vienna. Working for the wealthy often made it difficult for composers to have complete creative freedom. In one part of the film Mozart is writing an opera based on the story of the marriage of Figaro. It is brought to his attention that this story is banned from the Emperors court. This is apparently for two reasons: it involves too many controversial politics and is also a farce. The emperor and various men of power ask Mozart to use more elevated topics for his opera (Amadeus). In the end, Mozart is able to use the story, but he must leave out the political ideas. Mozart must constantly be aware of how the Emperor reacts to his works. This could determine how many times his operas are performed which, in turn, determines how much profit Mozart will make. This is portrayed in a scene where the emperor yawns during one of Mozarts productions. It is said that three yawns could

have very well killed the show. This can be related back to the lack of creative freedom. When explaining why he yawned, the emperor declares that the show was too long. Another idea depicted in the movie was the rivalry between composers in the classical era. This was the central idea throughout the film. A court composer called Salieri finds himself in competition with Mozart and begins to feel overshadowed. This is considerably highlighted in a scene where the Emperor refers to one of Mozarts work as the best opera yet written (Amadeus). Due to this extreme competition and the feeling of being pitted against Mozart, Salieri attempts sabotage several times. One such attempt includes having a maid sent to Mozarts home as a spy. It seems that in this particular time composers are forced to compete with each other, whether openly contending or backstabbing each other. The spirit of the classical era and its many social nuances are very well portrayed in the Amadeus film. From the public praise and criticism, to the private competitions, the struggles and the triumphs of Mozart and composers of his times are brought to the light. Sources: Amadeus. Dir. Milos Forman. Orion Pictures, 1984. DVD. Machlis, Joseph. The Enjoyment of Music; an Introduction to Perceptive Listening. 11th ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 1970. 146. Print.