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nicoleoftheisland's review against another edition
4.0
Marks off for the absolutely deplorable way it treats women, but sweet Jesus the theatricality of the thing is so on point, even more so than in Shaffer's nigh perfect Equus. Salieri is an anti-hero for the ages and the storytelling style works so perfectly. I read the most recent edition and the stage directions in it add nothing almost to the point of distraction. Now to find a production where they'll let me play Salieri.
alifff's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
this was intriguing and dramatic. jealously can do so much damage.
jessthanthree's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
godsgayearth's review against another edition
1.0
So I am aware that some plays are better off seen as a performance rather than read as I did with Amadeus, but since I'm evaluating the text as the text and not as anything else, thus is my rating. I could envision the scenes to be dynamic on stage for sure, but it just wasn't enough for me to like it or enjoy it as something read.
eric_peartree's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
m_a_j's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Toxic friendship
adrianascarpin's review against another edition
4.0
O Amadeus do Forman está completando 40 anos por esses tempos, então resolvi ler a peça do Shaffer antes de rever o filme.
Particularmente não gosto muito de ler peças, gosto de vê-las encenadas no palco ou no cinema, mas é bom ler pra ver o que é do autor original e o que é do diretor da peça/filme, por exemplo, aqui a risada excêntrica do Mozart já está marcada no texto, então uma das características mais marcantes do Tom Hulce no filme já fora pontuado pelo Shaffer.
Particularmente não gosto muito de ler peças, gosto de vê-las encenadas no palco ou no cinema, mas é bom ler pra ver o que é do autor original e o que é do diretor da peça/filme, por exemplo, aqui a risada excêntrica do Mozart já está marcada no texto, então uma das características mais marcantes do Tom Hulce no filme já fora pontuado pelo Shaffer.
stjernesvarme's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
squid_vicious's review
5.0
The movie adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus” by Milos Foreman is one of my all-time-top-5-favorite-movies. It is powerful, breathtaking, hilarious, deeply touching and thought-provoking. I went looking for the original play a few years ago, because I loved the story and the dialogue so much.
Shaffer’s play about talent, jealousy, faith and guilt is an incredible work of historical fiction. Antonio Salieri, the court composer of Emperor Joseph II of Austria, is the only one capable of truly understanding the genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music. Salieri has dedicated his life to music and has vowed to God to live a good, devout and chaste life if He would only give him the gift of musical talent. So when he realizes that the miraculously gifted composer Mozart is a vulgar, arrogant, over-indulging buffoon, he is understandably appalled, and begins to hatch a horrible plan to get this musical rival out of his way.
Shaffer’s pen turned an old theory about Mozart’s tragically premature death into an extravagant, poetic and devastating play. I would love to see this on the stage someday: in the meantime, I will simply watch the director’s cut DVD of the Foreman movie, laugh and cry myself silly and be awed at the beauty of this very crass man’s art.
Shaffer’s play about talent, jealousy, faith and guilt is an incredible work of historical fiction. Antonio Salieri, the court composer of Emperor Joseph II of Austria, is the only one capable of truly understanding the genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s music. Salieri has dedicated his life to music and has vowed to God to live a good, devout and chaste life if He would only give him the gift of musical talent. So when he realizes that the miraculously gifted composer Mozart is a vulgar, arrogant, over-indulging buffoon, he is understandably appalled, and begins to hatch a horrible plan to get this musical rival out of his way.
Shaffer’s pen turned an old theory about Mozart’s tragically premature death into an extravagant, poetic and devastating play. I would love to see this on the stage someday: in the meantime, I will simply watch the director’s cut DVD of the Foreman movie, laugh and cry myself silly and be awed at the beauty of this very crass man’s art.
juushika's review against another edition
4.0
I adore the suggested staging, and the fluidity with which Salieri moves across the stage, through time, between action and audience address. It's been a while since I read a play, and this was a gratifying way to break that fast; it's kinetic and apprehensible.
I chased this down right after rewatching the film, and I can't help making comparisons. The film is better, the central dynamic more mutually informing, and it's a dynamic I adore (I spent the last hour repeating "you can hate and love someone at the same time!" - can't beat that intensity). The play is messier, thornier, everyone comes off worse and I like that; this Mozart is such a mess that Salieri's hatred is uncomfortably persuasive. But it's less magnetic, and as such it's less memorable.
I chased this down right after rewatching the film, and I can't help making comparisons. The film is better, the central dynamic more mutually informing, and it's a dynamic I adore (I spent the last hour repeating "you can hate and love someone at the same time!" - can't beat that intensity). The play is messier, thornier, everyone comes off worse and I like that; this Mozart is such a mess that Salieri's hatred is uncomfortably persuasive. But it's less magnetic, and as such it's less memorable.