Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Amadeus!

A masterpiece…

This highly-acclaimed motion picture was released on September 19, 1984.

Amadeus is a 1984 American period biographical drama film directed by Miloš Forman, and adapted by Peter Shaffer from his 1979 stage play of the same name, in turn inspired by the 1830 play Mozart and Salieri by Alexander Pushkin. Set in Vienna, Austria, during the latter half of the 18th century, the film is a fictionalized story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from the time he left Salzburg, described by its writer as a "fantasia on the theme of Mozart and Salieri". Mozart's music is heard extensively in the soundtrack. The film follows a fictional rivalry between Mozart and Italian composer Antonio Salieri at the court of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor. The film stars F. Murray Abraham as Salieri and Tom Hulce as Mozart. Abraham and Hulce were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, with Abraham winning the award.

Upon release, it received widespread acclaim and was a box office hit, grossing over $90 million. Amadeus was nominated for 53 awards and received 40, including eight Academy Awards (including Best Picture and Best Director), four BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director), and a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film. As of 2024, it was the most recent film to have more than one nomination in the Academy Award for Best Actor category. In 2019, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The soundtrack album reached No. 1 in the Billboard Classical Albums Chart, No. 56 in the Billboard Popular Albums Chart, has sold over 6.5 million copies and received thirteen gold discs, making it one of the most popular classical music recordings of all time. It won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Album in 1984.

Source: Wikipedia.org

A nod to greatness… There was renewed interest in Classical music during the 1980’s, some of which was the result of this film. A couple of years later, Austrian musician Falco released his Dance-Pop hit "Rock Me Amadeus" which is still the only German language song to peak at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (March 29, 1986). My all-time favorite guitarist and modern musician, Eddie Van Halen, named his son (Wolfgang) after his all-time favorite composer.

I have enjoyed this masterpiece ever since I first saw it on HBO when I was 11. I probably have seen it a dozen times since and each time I feel a bit smarter. As I have grown older, I have come to appreciate the acting and directing even more. “I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint…” Even though the plot was mostly fiction, the character Antonio Salieri’s internal struggles with overarching inferiority and envy are relatable and ultimately serve as a reminder of how not to live. At some point, we will encounter or learn of someone who is better than us, possibly better than everyone we know or have ever seen. When we do, we should use such encounters as motivation to improve ourselves…

I remain in awe of the sublime works and talents of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and of other Classical composers (and of those who can perform their masterpieces). Neo-Classical-inspired solos and guitar playing focused on speed, technical prowess, and virtuosity, have long influenced my perception of what a “lead guitarist” is, what a “rockstar” is.

“Not long thereafter, I decided to take some more lessons from my guitar teacher, who would soon be performing with his bandmates at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival. I had taken an interest in fingerpicking, especially that of Flamenco and the Classical-style. My interest grew deeper after he taught me the first sections of ‘Bourrée in E minor’ and then ‘Malagueña’. I also remember sitting in complete wonder when I discovered the music of the legendary, late Andrés Segovia...”

- Woodard, Anthony. “Find the time…”. Mar. 30, 2023

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