In 1979, the play Amadeus by Peter Shaffer premiered in London. In 1984, Milos Forman's film adaptation conquered the world and won 8 Oscars. Now it's time for the premiere at the City Theatre again. Nice with period-dressed staff and piano playing in the foyer.
Despite the play's name, it is not Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart who plays the main role, but Antonio Salieri, the court composer of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II. Salieri has enjoyed the emperor's favor for many years, but when the musical genius Mozart arrives in Vienna, Salieri feels both threatened and disappointed in Mozart. He admires Mozart's genius but cannot stand his bad and vulgar behavior. Salieri is jealous of how a person like Mozart could have this divine gift to create such fantastic music. Salieri hides his rivalry but intrigues in various ways to remove him from the emperor's favor and prevent Mozart's works from being performed on the big stages. Finally, when Mozart is living in poverty, Salieri goes so far as to poison Mozart. But Salieri gets his punishment, he himself lives another 30 years and during these years Mozart's music flourishes and his own is forgotten.
Salieri is brilliantly played by Philip Zandén, who returns to the play after playing Amadeus in 1981. In short, it is a bitter, humiliated, forgotten, elderly man with hubris that we meet and who tells his story. Salieri is constantly present on stage, as a narrator or observer from the sidelines. An observer who is horrified by Amadeus' frivolous life. Simon Reithner is superb as Mozart and portrays the genius's burning passion for music and his easygoing attitude to life, which at times borders on madness, with both seriousness and humor. Maja Rung in the role of his wife Constance is an energetic force on stage. Per Andersson finds a good balance in his interpretation of the Emperor Joseph II. An Emperor who loves music but who when something gets a little difficult "wants to go for a swim". The Emperor is the comic character but overall it doesn't overwhelm and becomes clownish except on one occasion when the Emperor leaves the stage in the wrong direction. There the joke/improvisation (?) becomes a bit too long and repetitive.
The play gives several samples from Mozart's famous operas, which are performed by opera singers Katija Dragojevic, Peter Kajlinger and Sanna Gibbs. The musicians
have their given places on the stage and emphasize that the music itself has a main role.
The set design together with the lighting is simple but effective. Especially the scenes where shadows are played over the walls of the stage and the drama grows. The costumes are magnificent and create an operatic feel to the performance.
Amadeus is a well-acted and scenically beautiful production with both seriousness and laughter, but at times feels a bit long and lingering – 3 hours and 10 minutes (including a 20-minute break) both is and feels long.
Photo: Sören Vilks
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