Amadeus Page #12

CAVALIERI:

What's that?

SALIERI:

A brothel.

CAVALIERI:

Oh!

SALIERI:

A Turkish brothel.

CAVALIERI:

Turkish? Oh, if it's Turkish, that's

different. I want to be in it.

SALIERI:

My dear, it will hardly enhance your

reputation to be celebrated throughout

Vienna as a singing prostitute for a

Turk.

He seats himself at the forte-piano.

CAVALIERI:

Oh. Well perhaps you could introduce

us anyway.

SALIERI:

Perhaps.

He plays a chord. She sings a scale, expertly. He strikes

another chord. She starts another scale, then breaks off.

CAVALIERI:

What does he look like?

SALIERI:

You might be disappointed.

CAVALIERI:

Why?

SALIERI:

Looks and talent don't always go

together, Katherina.

CAVALIERI:

(airily)

Looks don't concern me, Maestro.

Only talent interests a woman of

taste.

He strikes the chord again, firmly. Cavalieri sings her next

scale, then another one, and another one, doing her exercises

in earnest. As she hits a sustained high note the orchestral

accompaniment in the middle of Martern Aller Arten from Il

Seraglio comes in underneath and the music changes from

exercises to the exceedingly florid aria.

We DISSOLVE on the singer's face, and she is suddenly not

merely turbaned, but painted and dressed totally in a Turkish

manner, and we are on:

INT. OPERA STAGE - VIENNA - 1780'S

The heroine of the opera (Cavalieri) is in full cry addressing

the Pasha with scorn and defiance.

The house is full. Watching the performance - which is

conducted by Mozart from the clavier in the midst of the

orchestra - we note Von Strack, Orsini-Rosenberg, Bonno and

Von Swieten, all grouped around the Emperor, in a box.

In another box we see an overdressed, middle-aged woman and

three girls, one of whom is Constanze. This is the formidable

MADAME WEBER and her three daughters, Constanze, JOSEFA and

SOPHIE. All are enraptured by the spectacle and Madame Weber

is especially enraptured by being there at all. Not so,

Salieri, who sits in another box, coldly watching the stage.

Cavalieri is singing Martern aller Arten from the line Doch

du bist entschlossen.

CAVALIERI:

Since you are determined, Since you

are determined, Calmly, with no

ferment, Welcome - every pain and

woe. Bind me then - compel me! Bind

me then - compel me! Hurt me. Break

me! Kill me! At last I shall be freed

by death!

After a few moments of this showy aria, with the composer

and the singer staring at each other - he conducting

elaborately for her benefit, and she following his beat with

rapturous eyes - the music fades, and Salieri speaks over

it.

OLD SALIERI (V.O.)

There she was. I had no idea where

they met - or how - yet there she

stood on stage for all to see. Showing

off like the greedy songbird she

was. Ten minutes of ghastly scales

and arpeggios, whizzing up and down

like fireworks at a fairground.

Music up again for the last 30 bars of the aria.

CAVALIERI:

(singing)

Be freed at last by death! Be freed

at last by death! At last I shall be

freed By! Death!

Before the orchestral coda ends, cut to:

INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT - 1823

Through the window we see that night has fallen.

OLD SALIERI:

Understand, I was in love with the

girl. Or at least in lust. I wasn't

a saint. It took me the most

tremendous effort to be faithful to

my vow. I swear to you I never laid

a finger on her. All the same, I

couldn't bear to think of anyone

else touching her - least of all the

Creature.

CUT BACK TO:

INT. THE OPERA HOUSE - VIENNA - NIGHT - 1780'S

The brilliant Turkish finale of Seraglio bursts over us.

All the cast is lined up on stage. Mozart is conducting with

happy excitement.

CAST OF SERAGLIO

(singing)

Pasha Selim May he Live forever!

Ever, ever, ever, ever! Honour to

his regal name! Honour to his regal

name! May his noble brow emblazon

Glory, fortune, joy and fame! Honour

be to Pasha Selim Honour to his regal

name! Honour to his regal name!

The curtains fall. Much applause. The Emperor claps vigorously

and - following his lead - so do the courtiers. The curtains

part. Mozart applauds the singers who applaud him back. He

skips up onto the stage amongst them. The curtains fall again

as they all bow. In the auditorium, the chandeliers descend,

filling it with light.

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