Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri: Two superb 18th-century
composers based in Vienna. Most people know Mozart’s name, but what about
Salieri? His name has been clouded over time by rumors related to his
competitive relationship with Mozart. Is there truth amongst these rumors? Or
has history exaggerated the story, thus harming Salieri’s reputation?
Similar
to artists today, Mozart and Salieri were competitors within the music realm.
Salieri worked as the Kapellmeister for Emperor Joseph II. Believing he was
better qualified for the post, Mozart applied for the job following the
emperor’s death. He was astounded when they turned him away. As to be expected,
the two men’s paths crossed as they composed in similar mediums vying for
public approval. Though Salieri admitted to close friends in confidence that he
did not like his competitor or his work, he never wanted to make his sentiments
known as to avoid attracting attention. Historians also note that Salieri grew
bitter toward Mozart with age as his works continued to gain fame following his
premature death. Despite these supposed negative reactions toward Mozart, did
Salieri perhaps have a deeper respect for his rival’s talents? Following
Mozart’s death, Franz Xaver Niemetschek quoted Salieri in his Mozart biography:
“It is indeed sad, the loss of so great a genius; but well for us that he is
dead. For had he lived longer, verily, the world would not have given us
another bit of bread for our compositions!” Perhaps Salieri revered Mozart but
feared his ability would soon drown out his contemporaries’ work in the public
eye.
What
seems a relatively harmless rivalry between Mozart and Salieri started what
became a gruesome rumor that many people still believe today. Not long after
Mozart’s death, people began to gossip that Salieri killed Mozart with poison due
to jealousy. Historians now know that evidence proves that the great composer
actually died at a young age as a result of acute rheumatic fever, an ailment
he suffered multiple times throughout his life before it ultimately proved
fatal. Despite the inaccuracy of the rumors, most people remember Salieri as
Mozart’s enemy rather than associating him with his own work.
Do
you tend to have less interest when Salieri comes on the radio because of these
exaggerated stories passed through history?
