Amadeus | Antonio Salieri

Court composer to the Emperor of Austria, Salieri is "the most successful young musician in the city of musicians," yet he is also consumed with envy of Mozart's prodigious musical talents. He finds himself mediocre by comparison. Providing a brief portrait of his background, he explains that his parents were

. . . provincial subjects of the Austrian Empire. . . . Their notion of God was a superior Habsburg emperor. All they required of Him was to protect commerce, and keep them forever preserved in mediocrity. My own requirements were very different. I wanted 'Fame'....

[The entire page is 334 words long]

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