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The film is a richly fictionalized drama, described by its writer as a "fantasia on a theme," based on the rumored bitter rivalry between two composers in 18th-century Vienna: the celebrated court composer Antonio Salieri and the divine young genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The story is told in flashback from the perspective of an elderly, institutionalized Salieri in 1823, who confesses to a priest that he murdered Mozart.

• The Vow and the Betrayal: A young, devout Salieri is shocked to find that the source of "God's Voice" in music—the brilliant, effortless talent he idolizes—belongs to the childish, profane, and giggling young Mozart. Salieri, who dedicated his life to God in exchange for musical fame, feels betrayed that God chose such a "foul-mouthed, immature, and dissolute" vessel.

• The Secret War: Consumed by jealousy, Salieri publicly feigns friendship with Mozart while secretly plotting his ruin. He undermines Mozart's career at the court of Emperor Joseph II, ensuring that commissions go to lesser composers and that Mozart's groundbreaking operas (The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni) are poorly received or cut short.

• The Requiem Plot: As Mozart sinks into poverty and ill health, grieving his recently deceased father, Salieri concocts his final, ultimate revenge on God. Disguising himself as a mysterious patron (a figure that reminds Mozart of his father's ghost), Salieri commissions a Requiem Mass. His plan is to drive the ailing Mozart to his death, steal the completed score, and claim the masterwork as his own, thereby receiving eternal glory and forever silencing God's voice (Mozart).

• Climax and Aftermath: Mozart works feverishly on the Requiem, literally dictating passages to Salieri on his deathbed. He collapses and dies before completing the Lacrimosa. Salieri's plot is thwarted when Mozart's wife, Constanze, returns and locks away the unfinished score. Mozart is buried in a pauper's grave. Salieri lives on, tormented by the realization that his elaborate scheme was futile: Mozart's sublime music endures forever, and he is left only as the self-proclaimed "Patron Saint of Mediocrity."
  
  

  The soundtrack is essentially a compilation of many of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's greatest and most dramatic works, newly recorded for the film by Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

  • Dramatic Selection: The music was chosen to directly illustrate the film's narrative and characters. The selection emphasizes the contrast between Mozart's lively genius and the high-stakes drama of Salieri's envy.

  • Authenticity: Marriner insisted that "not one note of Mozart would be changed," giving the film a high level of musical authenticity.

  • Key Themes: The album highlights pieces crucial to the plot, such as the major opera excerpts and the culminating Requiem.

LISTEN   "Symphony No. 25 In G Minor, K. 183, 1st Movement"

• 1984 2 LP Set Released on Fantasy Records # WAM-1791 (stereo)
  
  

• Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Conductor: Neville Marriner.          Cast: Academy Of St. Martin-In-the-Fields

  
  

• Gatefold Jacket has slight ring, corner & edge wear. No cut out marks on album. Booklet is attached inside gatefold.
  
  
  
• Records are in NM / VG++ Condition and will perform with Superb Sound Reproduction. 
  
  
  
• RecordS are Professionally Cleaned for your listening pleasure.

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