Mike Leghorn wrote:

>What I don't like about the movie "Amadeus" is how it makes Mozart
>more appealing to the masses, for the wrong reasons.

Could you tell the list what are the RIGHT reasons to make Mozart more
appealing to the masses?

>Based on various conversations I've had with people about the movie,
>the general consensus seems to be that "Mozart was a real cool dude".
>One person I know said her favorite composers were Mozart and Vivaldi.
>Reasons: 1) she saw Amadeus, 2) she had a CD of "The Four Seasons" played
>by Nigel Kennedy (who has a really cool hairdo, and doesn't play like
>everybody else).  She also has a CD of the Kronos Quartet playing modern
>music that must sound like total cacophony to her.  I think she bought it
>because the musicians look cool, e.g.  they wear leather, and some have
>spike hairdos.  She also has the Beethoven late Quartets -- she heard or
>read somewhere that this was Beethoven's best music.  Most of her
>collection is "alternative" (that word really cracks me up!).

Why? Leave the lady alone!  It is her decision to like Vivaldi because
Kennedy is cool!  No one has to be a scholar to have the right to buy a CD.
You sound pretty arrogant.

>It's great if the movie Amadeus gets people more interested in Mozart.
>However, they're interested for the wrong reasons.  How do you get them
>interested for the right reasons? Solving world hunger may be easier.

Tasteless remark.

>1) I thought it was ridiculous how lively and happy Mozart looked when
>he conducted.  The only advise he have to the musicians was "early", or
>"late".  I don't think the conductor's role even existed in Mozart's time.
>Didn't the first conductors conduct from the keyboard, or with their violin
>bows?

There are scenes in the movie where Mozart conducts from the keyboard.
And the movie is not about historical accuracy.  And do you remember how
lively and happy Leonard Bernstein could look when he conducted?

>2) The show for the commoners seemed pretty ridiculous to me.  Aw!  How
>sweet!  Mozart with his family, sitting among normal people, enjoying
>entertainment provided by the seedy elements.

Here the movie was pretty accurate.  The Zauberflote was shown at a concert
hall for commoners (AND nobility, like the plays of Shakespeare).  You seem
to prefer stiff composers without family sitting among the usual snobs of
classical music tourisms.

>3) Mozart's critique and suggestions for the little march composed by
>Salieri, and played by the Emperor was ridiculous.  The piece was supposed
>to be simple enough for the Emperor to play.  I'm sure Salieri was capable
>of writing more complex music.

Goodness, it is ART!!!!  The scene's function was to show Mozart's (the
movie's Mozart, not the historical one) stupidity when treating people.  He
just doesn't realize that he humiliates Salieri.  - And by the way: Mozart
tries to better a simple march, you try to better people who buy classical
music out of the "wrong" reasons.

>4) The production of Don Giovanni was gimmick laden so as to get it's point
>across to an obtuse, opera hating public.

Simply not true.  We see the last scene of the opera.  We see the statue
coming.  We see a breaking wall and so on.  You can see similar scenes
in a lot of productions of Giovanni.  I am not an opera hater but I like
productions with a little bit of meat.  But I guess I might be liking opera
for the "wrong" reasons in your eyes.

Robert