Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)

[robnewman]

Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)
Symphony in D Major
'Il giorno onomastico'
Larghetto

http://www.mediafire.com/?onmrgydn2gy

[Wilhelm Richard]

Cecilia Bartoli's album is one of the best I have ever known...

[huntsman]

Was he really the rotter he was portrayed as in the movie 'Amadeus'?

Is he well regarded now, and

which of his pieces would you recommend?

[mjwal]

Was he really the rotter he was portrayed as in the movie 'Amadeus'?

Is he well regarded now, and

which of his pieces would you recommend?

Answers 1. No; that play/film was a fantasy based upon a - much better - short play by Pushkin, and had nothing to do with reality. I will agree that the actor who played the fictively villainous Salieri, F. Murray Abraham, was really good. One of the best poems on musical subjects, by the way, was John Heath-Stubbs's Mozart and Salieri, also based on Pushkin's idea but long before Shaffer's Amadeus. You can read it here: http://mozartandsalieri.blogspot.de/2005/06/john-heath-stubbs_09.html
2. Fairly well.
3. Variations on la Follia di Spagna for orchestra - I can't think of an earlier set of orchestral variations, and it's brilliant fun.

[huntsman]

Thank you very much for the reply! I live in a country rife with segregation, and seldom can you believe what you read...

[Leo K.]

Last year I collected a bunch of Salieri Operas, I probably mention a few in the Classical Era Opera thread. He is great, and his work is stellar.

A great book my wife got me last year:



Antonio Salieri and Viennese opera by John Rice

Hardcover: 668 pages
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (April 15, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0226711250
ISBN-13: 978-0226711256

[SonicMan46]

This morning, I've been streaming one of my Pandora Internet radio stations, i.e. JS Bach, which has been playing a wide selection of Baroque & Classical era composers - Salieri's Piano Concerti came up w/ Staier & Concerto Koln - enjoyed!  BUT, I have NO music by Antonio in my collection - does this need to be corrected? 

About the only CD that I've eyed in the past is one w/ the Symphonies, so would appreciate any comments about the instrumental works of this Italian-Viennese composer (sorry, Leo - wife & I are not opera fans, although we've really tried in the past) - thanks all - Dave

 

[SonicMan46]

Well, after posting here a few minutes ago, I decided to look at Salieri's Wiki bio HERE - the opening paragraphs are paraphrased below - the article is quite lengthy.

His list of compositions can be found HERE; of course, a tremendous vocal output w/ dozens of operas, sacred & secular works, including masses & requiems (NOW, I'd be interested in the latter and potential recommendations).  Salieri's instrument oeuvre is much more limited - 6 concertos for a variety of instruments (piano, organ, flute, oboe), a small number of symphonies (and overtures, etc.), and nearly 20 works categorized as marches, serenades, and chamber music - SO, any Antonio fans out there w/ suggestions?  Thanks - Dave

Antonio Salieri (18 August 1750 – 7 May 1825) was an Italian[1] classical composer, conductor and teacher born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, but who spent his adult life and career as a faithful subject of the Habsburg monarchy.

Salieri was a pivotal figure in the development of late 18th-century opera - a protégé of Gluck, Salieri was a cosmopolitan composer who wrote operas in three languages. Salieri helped to develop and shape many of the features of operatic compositional vocabulary and his music was a powerful influence on contemporary composers.

Appointed the director of the Italian opera by the Habsburg court, a post he held from 1774 to 1792, Salieri dominated Italian language opera in Vienna. During his career he also spent time writing works for opera houses in Venice, Rome, and Paris....... As the Austrian imperial Kapellmeister from 1788 to 1824, he was responsible for music at the court chapel and attached school...... he wrote no new operas after 1804, he still remained one of the most important and sought-after teachers of his generation, and his influence was felt in every aspect of Vienna's musical life. Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Liszt were among the most famous of his pupils.

Salieri's music slowly disappeared from the repertoire between 1800 and 1868......This revival was due to the dramatic and highly fictionalized depiction of Salieri in the play Amadeus, which was given its greatest exposure in its 1984 film.... His music today has regained some modest popularity via recordings. It is also the subject of increasing academic study and a small number of his operas have returned to the stage........

[huntsman]

Bad Press is good Press -

I'm listening to Salieri's music now, via Cecilia Bartoli's 'The Salieri Album', which I only obtained as a result of the movie...

[SonicMan46]

Well, I just spent a little time on Amazon looking over their Salieri offerings - the 'pickings' are slim - for instrumental selections I found the 4 below that piqued my interest; for vocal works (outside of the operas), virtually nothing - now I'd still be interested in some of the sacred vocal compositions?  In the listening thread, Que commented on the 5-CD box of Staier playing concertos on the fortepiano which included the disc below - SO, again would appreciate any thoughts from those who may have heard these recordings - thanks!  Dave

Symphonies - Bamert & London Mozart Players
KB Conertos - Staier & Concerto Koln
Wind Music - Fiati Academy
Overtures & Ballet - Fey w/ MM Orch



 

[calyptorhynchus]

I've heard some of the Salieri concertos and I reckon they're really good. Haven't heard any of the symphonies or any of the operas or vocal works (not my cup of tea anyway).

But I've just heard the Variations on La Folia which are really spiffing. Such fun. The solo violinist has a great time, ditto the bassoonists. Someone commented above that this work may be the earliest set of variations for orchestra, I think they may also be the one of the earliest uses of the harp as an orchestra instrument.

[One of the ridiculous things about the film Amadeus is that it depicts Salieri as quite old, whereas in fact he was only six years older than Mozart].

[Scion7]

Well, I just spent a little time on Amazon looking over their Salieri offerings - .... - SO, again would appreciate any thoughts from those who may have heard these recordings - thanks!  Dave

Youtube has many of these posted - give them a listen!