Amadeus Page #26

LEOPOLD:

Do you always live like this?

MOZART:

Oh, yes. Oh, I mean no - not exactly

like this. I mean today - just today,

Stanzi - I remember now. She had to

go - yes! She had to help her mother.

Yes, she's like that. Her mother's a

very sweet woman, you'll see.

He carries the bag across the room and opens the door of the

bedroom. Constanze lies in bed. She sits up, startled.

MOZART:

Oh! I didn't know you were home.

Stanzi, this is my father.

Constanze, who looks ill and tired, stares at Leopold.

Leopold stares back from the doorway.

MOZART:

We'll wait, we'll wait. Why don't

you get up now, darling?

He closes the door again.

MOZART:

She's very tired, poor creature.

You know me:
I'm a real pig. It's

not so easy cleaning up after me.

LEOPOLD:

Don't you have a maid?

MOZART:

Oh we could, if we wanted to, but

Stanzi won't hear of it. She wants

to do everything herself.

LEOPOLD:

How is your financial situation?

MOZART:

It couldn't be better.

LEOPOLD:

That's not what I hear.

MOZART:

What do you mean? It's wonderful.

Really, it's - it's marvelous! People

love me here.

LEOPOLD:

They say you're in debt.

MOZART:

Who? Who says that? Now that's a

malicious lie!

LEOPOLD:

How many pupils do you have?

MOZART:

Pupils?

LEOPOLD:

Yes.

MOZART:

Yes.

LEOPOLD:

How many?

MOZART:

I don't know. It's not important. I

mean, I don't want pupils. They get

in the way. I've got to have time

for composition.

LEOPOLD:

Composition doesn't pay. You know

that.

MOZART:

This one will.

He picks up some pages of manuscript.

LEOPOLD:

What's that?

MOZART:

Oh, let's not talk about it.

LEOPOLD:

Why not?

MOZART:

It's a secret.

LEOPOLD:

You don't have secrets from me.

MOZART:

It's too dangerous, Papa. But they're

going to love it. Ah, there she is!

Constanze comes into the room. She is wearing a dressing

gown and has made a perfunctory attempt to tidy her hair.

We see that she is clearly pregnant.

MOZART:

My Stanzi - look at her! Isn't she

beautiful? Come on now, confess,

Papa. Could you want a prettier girl

for a daughter?

CONSTANZE:

Stop it, Wolfi. I look dreadful.

Welcome to our house, Herr Mozart.

MOZART:

He's not Herr Mozart. Call him Papa.

LEOPOLD:

I see that you're expecting.

CONSTANZE:

Oh, yes.

LEOPOLD:

When, may I ask?

CONSTANZE:

In three months! Papa.

MOZART:

Isn't that marvelous? We're delighted.

LEOPOLD:

Why didn't you mention it in your

letters?

MOZART:

Didn't I? I thought I did. I'm sure

I did.

He gives a little giggle of embarrassment.

CONSTANZE:

May I offer you some tea, Herr Mozart?

MOZART:

Tea? Who wants tea? Let's go out!

This calls for a feast. You don't

want tea, Papa. Let's go dancing.

Papa loves parties, don't you?

CONSTANZE:

Wolfi!

MOZART:

What? How can you be so boring?

Tea!

CONSTANZE:

Wolfi, I think your father's tired.

I'll cook us something here.

LEOPOLD:

Thank you. That'll be fine. Don't

spend any money on me.

MOZART:

Why not? Oh, come, Papa! What better

way could I spend it than on you? My

kissable, missable, suddenly visible

Papa!

The jaunty tune of Ich Mochte Wohl Der Kaiser sein (K.539)

sounds through all the following. This is an alternate song

from Il Seraglio: a very extroverted tune for baritone and

orchestra and a prominent part for bass drum. The vocal part

should be arranged for trumpet.

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