Amadeus Page #51

SALIERI:

I think so.

MOZART:

Sing it back.

Salieri sings back the first six measures of the bass line.

After the first two measures a chorus of basses fades in on

the soundtrack and engulfs his voice. They stop.

MOZART:

Good. Now the tenors. Fourth beat of

the first measure - C.

(singing)

Con-fu-ta-tis.

(speaking)

Second measure, fourth beat on D.

(singing)

Ma-le-dic-tis.

(speaking)

All right?

SALIERI:

Yes.

MOZART:

Fourth measure, second beat - F.

(singing)

Flam-mis a-cri-bus ad-dic-tis, flam-

mis a-cri-bus ad-dic-tis.

His voice is lost on the last words, as tenors engulf it and

take over the soundtrack, singing their whole line from the

beginning, right to the end of the sixth measure where the

basses stopped, but he goes on mouthing the sounds with them.

Salieri writes feverishly. We see his pen jotting down the

notes as quickly as possible: the ink flicks onto the page.

The music stops again.

MOZART:

Now the orchestra. Second bassoon

and bass trombone with the basses.

Identical notes and rhythm.

(He hurriedly hums

the opening notes of

the bass vocal line)

The first bassoon and tenor trombone -

SALIERI:

(labouring to keep up)

Please! Just one moment.

Mozart glares at him, irritated. His hands move impatiently.

Salieri scribbles frantically.

MOZART:

It couldn't be simpler.

SALIERI:

(finishing)

First bassoon and tenor trombone -

what?

MOZART:

With the tenors.

SALIERI:

Also identical?

MOZART:

Exactly. The instruments to go with

the voices. Trumpets and timpani,

tonic and dominant.

He again hums the bass vocal line from the beginning,

conducting. On the soundtrack, we hear the second bassoon

and bass trombone play it with him and the first bassoon and

tenor trombone come in on top, playing the tenor vocal line.

We also hear the trumpets and timpani. The sound is bare and

grim. It stops at the end of the sixth measure. Salieri stops

writing.

SALIERI:

And that's all?

MOZART:

Oh no. Now for the Fire.

(he smiles)

Strings in unison - ostinato on all -

like this.

He sings the urgent first measure of the ostinato.

MOZART:

(speaking)

Second measure on B.

He sings the second measure of the ostinato.

MOZART:

(speaking)

Do you have me?

SALIERI:

I think so.

MOZART:

Show me.

Salieri sings the first two measures of the string ostinato.

MOZART:

(excitedly)

Good, good - yes! Put it down. And

the next measures exactly the same,

rising and rising - C to D to E, up

to the dominant chord. Do you see?

As Salieri writes, Mozart sings the ostinato from the

beginning, but the unaccompanied strings overwhelm his voice

on the soundtrack, playing the first six bars of their

agitated accompaniment. They stop.

SALIERI:

That's wonderful!

MOZART:

Yes, yes - go on. The Voca Me.

Suddenly sotto voce. Write that down:

sotto voce, pianissimo. Voca me cum

benedictis. Call me among the blessed.

He is now sitting bolt upright, hushed and inspired.

MOZART:

C Major. Sopranos and altos in thirds.

Altos on C. Sopranos above.

(singing the alto

part)

Vo-ca, vo-ca me, vo-ca me cum be-ne-

dic-tis.

SALIERI:

Sopranos up to F on the second 'Voca'?

MOZART:

Yes, and on 'dictis'.

SALIERI:

Yes!

He writes feverishly.

MOZART:

And underneath, just violins -

arpeggio.

He sings the violin figure under the Voca Me (Bars 7,8,9).

MOZART:

(speaking)

The descending scale in eighth notes,

and then back suddenly to the fire

again.

He sings the ostinato phrase twice.

MOZART:

(speaking)

And that's it. Do you have it?

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