Amadeus Page #4

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EXT. A COUNTRY CHURCH IN NORTH ITALY - DAY - 1780'S

Serene music of the Italian Baroque - Pergolesi's Stabat

Mater - sung by a choir of boys with organ accompaniment.

We see the outside of the 17th-century church sitting in the

wide landscape of Lombardy: sunlit fields, a dusty, white

road, poplar trees.

INT. THE CHURCH AT LEGNAGO - DAY - 1780'S

The music continues and swells. We see the twelve-year-old

Salieri seated between his plump and placid parents in the

congregation, listening in rapture. His father is a heavy-

looking, self-approving man, obviously indifferent to the

music. A large and austere Christ on the cross hangs over

the altar. Candles burn below his image.

OLD SALIERI (V.O.)

Even then a spray of sounded notes

could make me dizzy, almost to

falling.

The boy falls forward on his knees. So do his parents and

the other members of the congregation. He stares up at Christ

who stares back at him.

OLD SALIERI (V.O.)

Whilst my father prayed earnestly to

God to protect commerce, I would

offer up secretly the proudest prayer

a boy could think of. Lord, make me

a great composer! Let me celebrate

your glory through music - and be

celebrated myself! Make me famous

through the world, dear God! Make me

immortal! After I die let people

speak my name forever with love for

what I wrote! In return I vow I will

give you my chastity - my industry,

my deepest humility, every hour of

my life. And I will help my fellow

man all I can. Amen and amen!

The music swells to a crescendo. The candles flare. We see

the Christ through the flames looking at the boy benignly.

OLD SALIERI (V.O.)

And do you know what happened? A

miracle!

INT. DINING ROOM IN THE SALIERI HOUSE - DAY - 1780'S

CU, a large cooked fish on a thick china plate. Camera pulls

back to show the Salieri family at dinner. Father Salieri

sits at the head of the table, a napkin tucked into his chin.

Mother Salieri is serving the fish into portions and handing

them round. Two maiden aunts are in attendance, wearing black,

and of course the young boy. Father Salieri receives his

plate of fish and starts to eat greedily. Suddenly there is

a gasp - he starts to choke violently on a fish bone. All

the women get up and crowd around him, thumping and pummeling

him, but it is in vain. Father Salieri collapses.

INT. OLD SALIERI'S HOSPITAL ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON - 1823

OLD SALIERI:

Suddenly he was dead. Just like that!

And my life changed forever. My mother

said, Go. Study music if you really

want to. Off with you! And off I

went as quick as I could and never

saw Italy again. Of course, I knew

God had arranged it all; that was

obvious. One moment I was a frustrated

boy in an obscure little town. The

next I was here, in Vienna, city of

musicians, sixteen years old and

studying under Gluck! Gluck, Father.

Do you know who he was? The greatest

composer of his time. And he loved

me! That was the wonder. He taught

me everything he knew. And when I

was ready, introduced me personally

to the Emperor! Emperor Joseph - the

musical king! Within a few years I

was his court composer. Wasn't that

incredible? Imperial Composer to His

Majesty! Actually the man had no ear

at all, but what did it matter? He

adored my music, that was enough.

Night after night I sat right next

to the Emperor of Austria, playing

duets with him, correcting the royal

sight-reading. Tell me, if you had

been me, wouldn't you have thought

God had accepted your vow? And believe

me, I honoured it. I was a model of

virtue. I kept my hands off women,

worked hours every day teaching

students, many of them for free,

sitting on endless committees to

help poor musicians - work and work

and work, that was all my life. And

it was wonderful! Everybody liked

me. I liked myself. I was the most

successful musician in Vienna. And

the happiest. Till he came. Mozart.

CUT TO:

INT. THE ARCHBISHOP OF SALZBURG'S RESIDENCE - VIENNA - DAY -

1780'S

A grand room crowded with guests. A small group of Gypsy

musicians is playing in the background. Thirteen members of

the Archbishop's orchestra - all wind players, complete with

18th-century wind instruments: elaborate-looking bassoons,

basset horns, etc. and wearing their employer's livery - are

laying out music on stands at one end of the room. At the

other end is a large gilded chair, bearing the arms of the

ARCHBISHOP OF SALZBURG. A throng of people is standing,

talking, and preparing to sit upon the rows of waiting chairs

to hear a concert.

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