By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel
SOLANA BEACH, California — Amadeus (Mozart’s middle name) at the North Coast Theatre was wonderful theater with excellent direction by Richard Baird, outstanding professional leads and supporting cast. The 18th century Vienna composer Antonio Salieri was played brilliantly by Tony Amendola who held the stage throughout as both story teller and lead.
When the lights went up we met an old and disabled Antonio Salieri in a wheel chair. From that moment he dominates the stage with his powerful presence, strong voice, and excellent diction. He talks about his first meeting with young Mozart, and openly confesses his jealously, and intense envy of Mozart’s outstanding talent. From then on Salieri dedicated his life to destroy his rival’s career and spoiling any chances of his success.
Salieri’s narration is accompanied with quick and smooth flashbacks,, quick entrances and exits each like a mini-sketch. Courtiers in the Prince’s court glide gracefully like ballet dancers (choreographed by Director Richard Baird) from scene to scene wearing stunning period costumes by Eliza Benzoni . .
Mozart (delightfully played as a quirky and impetuous character by Rafael Goldstein) is seemingly oblivious to Salieri’s devious attempts to spoil his career, and goes his merry way creating one brilliant composition after another.
Recorded musical clips of Mozart’s compositions are woven precisely into the dialogue and fill the theater with his glorious music. They are reminders of his symphonies, piano concertos, requiem ,and operas written in the Italian style: “Don Giovanni,” “The Magic Flute,” and “The Marriage of Figaro.” (all new in German musical tradition).
Composers in the the 17th and 18th centuries depended almost solely on the largesse of kings and princes for money to write special music for their private court concerts. There is a fine scene showing how Salieri deviously blackmailed Constance, Mozart’s wife (played wonderfully by beautiful and vocally talented Kathryn Tkel ) to trade sex in exchange for a position in the Prince’s court for her husband.
In the play, Mozart died in Salieri’s arms at the age of 35 of a sudden illness. The play ended as it began with Salieri, old, disabled, and reminiscing in his wheel chair. The lights went down, and when the cast returned for their final bows the audience rose as one a to give the cast a well-deserved standing ovation.
Kudos for the excellent script by Peter Shaffer, the outstanding cast direction by Richard Baird, and a standing ovation to the superb supporting cast. Louis Lotorto, Nick Kennedy, Andrew Oswald, Andrew Barnicle, Alice Sherman, Christopher M. Williams each played their parts with perfection.
If it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes backstage staff to produce a first-rate play. I salute Matthew Novotny (Lighting), Philip Korth (Props) and Peter Herman (Hair and Wig Design). And Aaron Rumley, the Stage Manager.
Additional historic notes of interest: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote 600 compositions during his short life, and is considered the most influential composer in the western world.
I hope the following bit of history research won’t disappoint you or take away your enjoyment of Amadeus. It certainly did not for me. But the supposed bitter rivalry between Mozart and Antonio Salieri is a myth originally created by Aleksandr Pushkin in his play Mozart and Salieri and also in Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakoff’’s opera. Mozart and Salieri barely knew each other! Author Peter Shaffer continued the myth for dramatic effect in his play, Amadeus that premiered in 1979 , and of course that was the basis for the very popular film of the same name.
Antonio Salieri was evidently a composer of little note, and few people today ever heard of him until the magnificent portrayal of him by F. Murray Abraham in the movie. Some critics felt that the portrayal of Mozart’s personality was unfairly exaggerated..
I thoroughly enjoyed Amadeus, and I’m confident that you will also. Catch it before October 6.
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Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel is the emeritus cantor of Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego.