Salieri, Antonio

Antonio Salieri – Krönungs-Te Deum (Coronation Te Deum)

(b. Legnago, 18 August 1750 – d. Vienna, 7 May 1825)

Preface
The Italian composer Antonio Salieri fell into disrepute at the latest with Miloš Forman‘s film adaptation of Peter Shaffer‘s stage play Amadeus. There he is portrayed as Mozart‘s murderer, as an incompetent, but all the more deceitful rival who does not grant his younger colleague anything and only thinks of his own benefit. But the rumour that Salieri killed Mozart already arose during his lifetime. Physical and psychological decay caused more and more problems for the composer after his 70th birthday: whether he actually fantasized or not did not seems to be definitively verifiable, but his doctors and nurses assured him that the patient did not speak anything about an alleged murder. Shortly before his death, he had to defend himself against the ever-increasing slander. Pushkin posthumously fired the rumours in his drama Mozart i Saljeri, which was later set to music by Rimsky-Korsakov.

But the reality was quite different: Mozart and Salieri even worked closely together for a long time. Initially they were competitors, probably in relation to Così fan tutte, whose libretto was originally intended for Salieri – who soon rejected the composition. In return, Mozart accused the Italian of being to blame for the flop of the opera Le nozze di Figaro, which is also based on a text by Da Ponte. Later the colleagues met more amicably and even composed the cantata Per la recuperata salute di Ofelia together, which was included in the Köchel catalog with the number 477a. Salieri initiated numerous performances of Mozart‘s works and regularly encouraged his colleague to write new compositions. Towards the end of Mozart‘s life, the two seemed to have really made friends, at least letters testify to the fact that they both went to a performance of the Magic Flute together and Salieri was so enthusiastic about the work that he praised every single number with enthusiastic Bravo and Bello calls. Conversely, Mozart left some of Salieri‘s piano students to Salieri, and after his death his youngest son Franz Xaver also took composition lessons with the Italian.

Contrary to his current reputation, Antonio Salieri was one of the most sought-after composers and teachers during his lifetime. He was born on 18 August 1750 in Legnago, Venice, where he first learned the violin from his older brother Francesco, a pupil of Giuseppe Tartini, and harpsichord from the cathedral organist Giuseppe Simoni. Both of Salieri‘s parents died in quick succession, when he was not even of age, whereupon he first went to Padua and from there at the invitation of Florian Leopold Gassmann as his pupil to Vienna. There he married Theresia Helferstorfer and joined the private chamber ensemble of Emperor Joseph II, which he led from 1788 as K. u. K. court conductor. In this position he increasingly turned away from opera, but more and more towards sacred music. …

Read full preface > HERE