Unknown Pushkin's Masterpiece "Mozart and Salieri" Synopsis and Commentary
Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837)Wikipedia.
The work I will introduce here is "Mozart and Salieri," written by Pushkin in 1830.
I read "Mozart and Salieri" in "The Complete Works of Pushkin 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems" translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha.
I will first quote from the summary and explanation of this work at the end of the book.
The theme of the tragedy was envy and jealousy that drives mankind to commit horrendous crimes; in fact, the manuscript was tentatively titled "envy."
Pushkin's conception of the subject was stimulated by the rumors circulating in Europe at the time of Mozart's poisoning by Salieri.
Mozart died in 1791 at the young age of 35. There are various theories as to the cause of Mozart's death, including malignant common cold, encephalitis, miliary eruptive fever, atrophic kidney, and rheumatic heart disease.
Apparently, doctors could not agree on his illness. And some rumored that he was poisoned by Salieri. It is said that Salieri, who was six years older than Mozart, died in 1825 at the age of 75, but in his last days he suffered from mental derangement and confessed to Mozart's poisoning in his deathbed confession.
Although some contemporaries who knew both Mozart and Salieri denied the possibility of this crime, and later music historians and Mozart biographers have also rejected this theory, it was apparently a very plausible legend at the time.
Kawade Shobo Shinsha, translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, Pushkin Complete Works 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems, p. 617
Some line breaks have been made.
The film is about a talented and brilliant musician named Salieri, who is jealous of the gifted Mozart and poisons him. Salieri is a real person, and the filmAmadeus."It is now known in modern times by the
Salieri has devoted his entire life to music, and continues to compose with a painstaking effort.
For Salieri, Mozart, who creates masterpieces with such overwhelming talent and ease, is inevitably loathsome.
Pushkin went on to write "Mozart and Salieri" on the theme of jealousy toward this overwhelming genius.
Pushkin analyzed the character of Shakespeare's Othello in "Table Talk" and stated, "Othello is not naturally jealous - on the contrary, he is prone to trust others.
Pushkin adds a similarly complex psychological analysis of the character of Salieri in his "Little Tragedy."
Salieri envies Mozart not because he is a born envier. He confesses, "I have never known envy.
His special feeling for Mozart arises from a painful awareness of the process of pursuing his artistic path. A gifted and accomplished musician, Salieri is more aware than anyone else of Mozart's exceptional talent and the greatness of his art.
Like the old baron in "The Stingy Knight," however, Salieri is unable to honestly admit his inferiority and tries to justify it by cloaking it in a different, more exalted sense.
Salieri's hatred for Mozart was reflected in the composer's frivolous attitude toward his music, which was not serious,winged prodigyand free-spiritedness, which is only this way in the eyes of an envious person), and thus, I tell myself, arise from the fact that I am desecrating this art form.
Mozart, for Salieri, is a "fool, a prodigal of inaction," an "enemy of the optimist. He curses fate and murmurs against God for giving such a man "a divine gift, a never-dying talent," and not giving him the "burning love, devotion, toil, zeal, and prayer" for art that he has ("All men say: 'There is no justice on earth. There is no justice on earth. /But there is no justice even in heaven").
Kawade Shobo Shinsha, translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, Pushkin Complete Works 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems, p. 618
Some line breaks have been made.
Salieri is also a genius. And he did not know jealousy until he knew Mozart. This is important.
This tragedy is not merely the dimension of an ordinary person being jealous of a genius.
It is jealousy when Salieri, who is a genius and lives his life by devoting himself to music with sincerity, is confronted by an overwhelming genius who far surpasses him.
Moreover, from the side, Mozart does not seem to have made any stoic efforts at all like Salieri. He creates overwhelming masterpieces with ease and without any effort.
For Salieri, who has dedicated his life and devotion to music, this is unforgivable.
In Henri Troyer's Biography of Pushkin, we read
On Mozart's part, the work unfolds with remarkable ease, seemingly oblivious to the struggles, doubts, failures, and envy of the task. Mozart is so clear, so joyful, so vacant, that it is a terrible insult to the artistic integrity that Salieri seems to have. Mozart the man is a personal insult to Salieri. Salieri loathes Mozart, yet admires him. He believes that Mozart's genius is the product of divine injustice.
Where on earth is the justice, oh God? Talent,
Henri Troyer, Pushkin Biography, translated by Hinako Shinozuka, Suiseisha p496
The immortal genius of the artist has a passion for art, self-sacrifice and
For toil, effort, and constant prayer.
Instead of giving honors
To illuminate from the heavens the hips of the insane man, the festival-goer, and the lazy man.
What do you mean he's coming? ...... Oh, Mozart! Mozart!
Finally, Salieri decides to kill Mozart.
No more! No more, I am doomed to my own fate.
Mozart and Salieri" in "The Complete Works of Pushkin 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems", translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, Kawade Shobo Shinsha, p. 384-385.
I cannot go against him. For I am to prevent his steps,
We are the chosen ones. Otherwise, we will all be ruined.
We, the priests and servants of music, shall all be destroyed,
It's not just about me alone, who has a poor reputation. ......
If Mozart survived, and still
Even if we reach new heights, what good will it do us?
Does it enhance his art? No, no.
Nor will he leave us a successor.
What's in it for that man?person who always acts the right wayAs in,
Though we have brought to us some of the wondrous songs of heaven,
It is in our hearts, who are but children of the dust
It is only a matter for me to fly away, stirring up wingless hopes!
In that case, go ahead and fly away! The sooner the better.
Salieri begins to feel that his own jealousy is his destiny. The "overwhelming genius is...I have to kill him.The following is a list of the most common problems with theSomeone has to do it for the good of the many.That's me. That's me.I am the chosen one.It goes all the way to the idea of "the
He pours poison into Mozart's glass, and Mozart, who knows nothing about it, drinks it down. Shortly thereafter, Mozart's new composition, "requiemThe two play "The Last of Us" and then part ways.
Then Salieri is left alone to monologue.
You are going to sleep forever, Mozart! But was he right?
Mozart and Salieri" in "The Complete Works of Pushkin 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems", translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, Kawade Shobo Shinsha, p. 394-395.
And am I not a genius? What is genius and bad behavior?
Two incompatible things, they say. It can't be.
Then what about that Michelangelo? Or that thing,
It's a fiction made up by the stupid, inconsiderate masses.
Were not the builders of the Vatican Palace murderers?
Thus ends this tragedy.
Pushkin does not allow Mozart to say much, but his cheerfulness, friendship, and trust create a wonderful contrast with Salieri. Mozart, however, is aware of his imminent death, and in his wry and witty dialogue, he hints several times to Salieri that the Grim Reaper is unexpectedly close by.
In this "Little Tragedy," Mozart said he would not say much, but instead the music he composed will play a special role. The music is played three times. The first is an aria from "Don Giovanni" performed by an elderly fiddler (or even part of "The Marriage of Figaro"). The second is a piano piece in which the shadow of death appears in love and friendship. The third is "Requiem," which Mozart plays for his own mourning after being poisoned.
Kawade Shobo Shinsha, translated by Nobuyuki Kitagaki and Shigeo Kurihara, Pushkin Complete Works 3: Folk Tales and Dramatic Poems, p. 619
Pushkin does not let Mozart say much, but instead inserts songs into the piece to enhance the narrative effect.
I found the music on youtube and will post it here.
I was surprised to hear many parts of "Requiem" that I had heard on TV and in various other places! I was surprised.
And when you listen to it at a high volume, it is still overwhelming. It's as if your body naturally moves... I could understand why Hiroshi Abe in "The Man Who Couldn't Get Married" was so absorbed in listening to the music in his room (laughs).
I wanted to hear a top-notch performance live with a full orchestra.
Now that I have introduced "Mozart and Salieri," I must confess that this may be my favorite of Pushkin's works.
It is difficult to say what is good about it, but "jealousy" is an emotion that is very close to our hearts, and yet it is also an emotion that can cause us to ache to the point of madness. This work, which has elevated this emotion to the level of art, has stuck with me in a peculiar way.
And thanks to the concise and flowing style that characterizes Pushkin's works, they are overwhelmingly easy to read.
The volume is short, and it is not hard at all to read it over and over again. That is why I want to read it over and over again like an addict. It's only been a week since I got this book, but I have already read this work more than 5 times. It is addictive.
Mozart and Salieri" is a minor work in Japan, but it is a gem. I wish more people knew about this work. I highly recommend it. Read it and you will understand. Pushkin is amazing. I felt his greatness especially in this work.
We hope you will be happy to read it.
The above is a synopsis of Pushkin's "Mozart and Salieri" - a story of jealousy of a genius by a genius.
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