Norman M. Schwartz wrote on Amadeus:

>>Several years ago, an interview with Shaffer appeared in the Sunday NY
>>Times and he's no dope and is somewhat of a true Mozart scholar.

And Steve Schwartz replied:

>He may know something about Mozart, but he appears (or at least in the
>movie) to know very little about 18th-century mores.  Much is made of the
>Mozart character's "crudeness." Simply put, Mozart learned his manners from
>the aristocracy, rather than from the middle-class prudes and parvenus.

Steve, I don't understand the point you are trying to make.  Here are my
comments:

1.  I don't think Amadeus says anything about the source of Mozart's
"manners," and I don't see how the source of Mozart's manners undermines
anything in Amadeus.

2.  Are you suggesting that, because Mozart learned his manners from the
"aristocracy" that Amadeus must be incorrect in portraying Mozart as having
a propensity for crudeness and vulgarity?

3.  Mozart indisputably had a propensity for crudeness and vulgarity,
regardless of the source of his "manners." In fact, the publication a
few years ago of Robert Spaethling's "Mozart's Letter's, Mozart's Life"
generated a controversy because it was the first edition (at least in
English) that did not omit the "dirty stuff" in many of Mozart's letters.
Prior editions of Mozart's letters "smoothed out" the foul language, and
simply omitted some of the smuttier letters.

4.  To the extent that Mozart's personality in Amadeus was simplified or
arguably distorted: The movie (and play) was a piece of fiction (albeit
based partially on historical fact), and it is perfectly acceptable to me
that the movie takes license with the historical facts.  I think Shaffer
has been frank in acknowledging that his play is a fictionalizing of
Mozart's and Salieri's lives, weaving history with fiction.

5.  Even though Amadeus arguably oversimplifies Mozart's personality
(and that is only a valid observation if we mistakenly take the movie as
historical fact), the vulgarity is integral to a number of issues in the
movie: (a) the nature of genius, (b) our conception of a just God (on
whom does he bestow gifts), (c) our conception of our relationship with
God (what can we expect of God in return for our loyalty and service), (d)
jealousy (Salieri against Mozart), and (e) revenge (Salieri against God).

My two bits: I thought Amadeus was a great and profound motion picture.

Drew Capuder
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