In the picture: Cicilia Sedvall, actor
If a performance were to be made about your life, would you be the one playing the lead role? In the case of court composer Antonio Salieri, the answer would undoubtedly be no. The production throws us headfirst into a vividly colored 18th century, where we quickly understand that the world’s spotlight is directed at Mozart — Salieri’s colleague and self-proclaimed nemesis. Through Salieri’s embittered eyes, we watch the prodigy showered with praise, while he himself is continually relegated to playing second fiddle.

As an audience member, you are transported between the composer’s present and past; the power over the story rests entirely in Salieri’s hands. It is a narrative that winds its way through the darkest corners of memory and brushes against our most unflattering emotions and fears. It is about envy, resentment, and bitterness — and about one of music history’s most intriguing relationships.

Amadeus is a journey in more ways than one. While it takes you back in time, to another kind of world, it also ventures deep into another person’s psyche. The production shifts between gravity and humor in step with our narrator’s temperament and offers both song and music.