Rival Composers?

[Gabriel]

Don't forget the most "historically accurate" rival, between Salieri and Mozart! Especially, as portrayed in the movie Amadeus. 

Their rivalry was true indeed, in spite of all the subsequent "creative process" of writers, narrators, etc.

[hornteacher]

What extravagant lifestyle was that?

Oops, that was a mistake on my part.  Brahms was disgusted by the extravagant lifestyle that WAGNER led.  My source is in Lecture 8 of Dr. Greenberg's series on the Life of Brahms.  Thanks for catching that.

[zamyrabyrd]

The name Antonio Salieri comes up frequently as a teacher, and probably a good one as well, to  Ludwig van Beethoven, Carl Czerny, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Franz Liszt, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Ignaz Moscheles, Franz Schubert, and Franz Xaver Süssmayr.

As for rivalry between Mozart and himself, well, first of all there is no comparison in composing talent. Salieri wrote opera seria when the taste was definitely being strained for it.  Anytime some obscure work pops up by him, I find it pompous.

Now, from Wikipedia, some alternative evidence why Mozart and Salieri may have been good friends:

The biographer Alexander Wheelock Thayer believes that Mozart's suspicions of Salieri could have originated with an incident in 1781 when Mozart applied to be the music teacher of the Princess of Württemberg, and Salieri was selected instead because of his reputation as a singing teacher. In the following year Mozart once again failed to be selected as the Princess's piano teacher.

"Salieri and his tribe will move heaven and earth to put it down", Leopold Mozart wrote to his daughter Nannerl. But at the time of the premiere of Figaro, Salieri was busy with his new French opera Les Horaces.

In addition, when Lorenzo da Ponte was in Prague preparing the production of Mozart's setting of his Don Giovanni, the poet was ordered back to Vienna for a royal wedding for which Salieri's Axur, re d'Ormus would be performed. Obviously, Mozart was not pleased by this.

There is very little evidence of a contentious relationship between the two composers. For example, when Salieri was appointed Kapellmeister in 1788 he revived Figaro instead of bringing out a new opera of his own; and when he went to the coronation festivities for Leopold II in 1790 he had no fewer than three Mozart masses in his luggage. Salieri and Mozart even composed a cantata for voice and piano together, called Per la ricuperata salute di Ophelia which was celebrating the return to stage of the singer Nancy Storace.

This work has been lost, although it had been printed by Artaria in 1785. Mozart's Davide penitente K.469 (1785), his piano concerto in E flat major K.482 (1785), the clarinet quintet K.581 (1789) and the great Symphony in G minor K.550 had been premiered on the suggestion of Salieri, who supposedly conducted a performance of it in 1791. In his last surviving letter from 14 October 1791, Mozart tells his wife that he collected Salieri and Caterina Cavalieri in his carriage and drove them both to the opera, and about Salieri's attendance at his opera Die Zauberflöte K 620, speaking enthusiastically: "He heard and saw with all his attention, and from the overture to the last choir there was no piece that didn't elicit a "Bravo!" or "Bello!" out of him [...]."[5]

[Opus106]

Salieri and Mozart even composed a cantata for voice and piano together, called Per la ricuperata salute di Ophelia which was celebrating the return to stage of the singer Nancy Storace.

This is most interesting, not just because of the historical value, but generally of two (classical) composers working together on a single composition. I do not think I have come across a similar instance before. Perhaps, if there are more such examples, we could start a "Composer Friends" thread?

[zamyrabyrd]

This is most interesting, not just because of the historical value, but generally of two (classical) composers working together on a single composition. I do not think I have come across a similar instance before. Perhaps, if there are more such examples, we could start a "Composer Friends" thread?

I don't think there are too many instances of collaboration composition, but the Hexameron came to mind.

From Wikipedia:
Hexaméron, Morceau de concert, S.392, is a set of six variations for solo piano elaborately composed by Franz Liszt and five other composers in 1837. The piece was commissioned by Princess Belgiojoso and was first performed at her salon.

It consists of a statement of and variations on the theme "March of the Puritans" from Vincenzo Bellini's opera I puritani, together with connecting interludes and a finale. The others who contributed to Hexameron, all popular composer-performers of the day, were: Frédéric Chopin, Sigismond Thalberg, Henri Herz, Carl Czerny and Johann Peter Pixis. Liszt ordered the pieces, composed the connecting sections, and is considered to have integrated the piece into an artistic unity.

Hexameron is divided into nine parts:

1.Introduction: Extremement lent (Liszt)
2.Tema: Allegro marziale (transcribed by Liszt)
3.Variation I: Ben marcato (Thalberg)
4.Variation II: Moderato (Liszt)
5.Variation III: di bravura (Pixis) - Ritornello (Liszt)
6.Variation IV: Legato e grazioso (Herz)
7.Variation V: Vivo e brillante (Czerny) - Fuocoso molto energico; Lento quasi recitativo (Liszt)
8.Variation VI: Largo (Chopin) - (coda) (Liszt)
9.Finale: Molto vivace quasi prestissimo (Liszt)
In addition to the solo piano version, Liszt made arrangements for piano and orchestra (S.365b) and two pianos (S.654).

The piece has been notably recorded by Raymond Lewenthal among others, and Chopin's nocturne-like variation - which his friend Liszt placed immediately before the finale, which bears characteristic Lisztian bravura - is especially prized.

[Opus106]

Thank you for that. I'd known Hexameron as a "work by Liszt" and nothing more. Chopin and Liszt in a single work? I must listen to it!

[Gabriel]

Salieri and Mozart even composed a cantata for voice and piano together, called Per la ricuperata salute di Ophelia which was celebrating the return to stage of the singer Nancy Storace.

This work has been lost, although it had been printed by Artaria in 1785.

Very interesting. I didn't know anything about this collaboration. It's a pity that this work has been lost.