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Antonio Salieri
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Antonio Salieri was one of the most widely respected opera composers of the second half of the eighteenth century. Born in Legnano in northern Italy in 1750, the fifth son of a merchant, his early talents on the violin, harpsichord and in singing led to his move to Venice at the age of 15. There he attracted the attention of the Viennese composer Florian Gassmann who effectively adopted him, taking him to Vienna and facilitating further training and the requisite introductions in court circles. He quickly came to the notice of the emperor Joseph II, as well as the librettist Pietro Metastasio, and the reformist composer Gluck who remained a lifelong supporter. At the age of 24, Salieri became Court composer and director of the Italian opera, and some years later became Kapellmeister. His greatest triumphs ... were in Milan, where he wrote
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Only two unimportant works by Antonio Salieri are listed in the current Schwann Catalogue. But that does not mean the music of Salieri is entirely unobtainable on records. The enterprising music-lover can investigate import companies, such as International Book and Record Distributors (40-11 24th Street, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101). There he will be able to purchase two disks of Salieri's music, one containing the Piano Concertos in B flat and C, played by Aldo Ciccolini and the Solisti Veneti conducted by Claudio Scimone (Italia ITL 70028) and the other containing the ''Sinfonia Veneziana,'' the Sinfonia ''Il Giorno Onomastico,'' and the ''Variazioni sull'aria La Follia di Spagna,'' with the London Symphony under Zoltan Pesko (Italia ITL 70052).
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Amadeus, it is the character of Antonio Salieri (1750-1825) who remains at the center of Shaffer's work. Salieri held high posts in the Viennese imperial musical establishment from 1774 until 1824. In his last years he suffered from senility. Among the rumors circulating in Vienna around 1824 was one saying that Salieri had said he poisoned Mozart. The tale reached Beethoven and many others. In 1825 Salieri's two attendants attested that they had never heard such words from their charge, and a friend of Mozart's physician reported that Wolfgang had died of a fever that was epidemic at that time in Vienna.
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One of the most successful European composers of the late 18th century, Antonio Salieri (1750-1825) was active in all spheres of musical life but was known, above all, as an opera composer. Salieri went to Vienna as a teenager in 1766. He found success there, eventually rising to the post of Imperial Court Composer at the Habsburg court in Vienna, which he held from 1788 until his retirement in 1824. In that capacity, he was responsible for sacred music and secular music at court, as well as for opera; he composed over 40 works for the stage between 1768 and 1804. He was ... crucial in promoting the works of other composers; favorites included contemporaries such as Joseph and Michael Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (in whose death he played no part, though the story made good dramatic fodder for Peter Shaffer's Amadeus) as well as younger composers such as his pupils Beethoven and Schubert.
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Antonio Salieri was born on August 18, 1750 in the little Italian town of Legnago, which was part of the Venetian territory. Salieri was sent to the public school to learn Latin, and was ... taught by his brother, Francesco, in the study of violin, piano, and singing. Francesco was a very talented violinist and was often called upon to play for church festivals in the area surrounding Legnago. Salieri, having a taste for music from his infancy, would accompany his brother whenever there would be enough carriage space to accommodate him. Once when Salieri was ten years old his brother went off to play at a neighboring village. As usual, little Salieri wanted to join his brother and hear the wonderful music, in this case, a violin concerto.
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Antonio Salieri was born the 19th of August, 1750, at Legnano, in Venice, His father, a well to do tradesman, sent him to the public school to learn Latin. His brother Francis and the church organist instructed him in music. Francis, a skillful violinist, was often invited to play at church festivals in the neighborhood; and Antonio, who even as a child manifested great talent for music, was allowed to go with his brother whenever there was room for him in the carriage. Once he followed the carriage without permission of his father, who, not being able to account for his absence, was worried about him. On his return at night, his father threatened to shut him in his room for a week, and feed him on bread and water, if he ever went again without leave. Antonio, who was ten years old, consoled himself by the following reflections: "The punishment is not so very terrible, after all, when one hears such good music to pay for it. I never take wine: I don't like it unless it is very sweet; and, as to bread, I like that as well as anything else, if I can have sugar with it. At any rate, I will provide myself with sugar in case of need."
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Antonio Salieri