Part 9

"AMADEUS"
by

Peter Shaffer

Final Draft

INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - DAY - 1790'S

He comes through he door and stares across the living room

at an open bedroom door. Puzzled, he crosses.

The bedroom is also empty. We see Constanze's empty bed;

Karl's empty bed; empty closets.

MOZART
Stanzi? Stanzi-marini-bini?

He looks about him, puzzled.

INT. FRAU WEBER'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY - 1790'S

Frau Weber sits grimly talking. Mozart sits also, completely

exhausted and passive under the rain of her constant speech.

FRAU WEBER
She's not coming back, you know.
She's gone for good. I did it and
I'm proud of it. 'Leave,' I said.
'Right away! Take he child and go,
just go. Here's the money! Go to the
Spa and get your health back - that's
if you can.' I was shocked. Shocked
to my foundation. Is that my girl?
Can that be my Stanzi? The happy
little moppet I brought up, that
poor trembling thing? Oh, you monster!
No one exists but you, do they? You
and your music! Do you know how often
she's sat in that very chair, weeping
her eyes out of her head because of
you? I warned her. 'Choose a man,
not a baby,' I said. But would she
listen? Who listens? 'He's just a
silly boy,' she says. Silly, my arse.
Selfish - that's all you are. Selfish!
Selfish, selfish, selfish, selfish,
selfish.

And with a scream Madame Weber's voice turns into the shrill

packing coloratura of the second act aria of the Queen of

the Night, in The Magic Flute.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - NIGHT - 1790'S

On stage we see the QUEEN OF THE NIGHT fantastically costumed,

furiously urging her daughter to kill Sarastro. As she sings,
we see the interior of the theatre, now re-arranged from
when we last visited it to watch the Cabaret. An audience of
ordinary German citizens stands in the pit area, or sits:
they are rapt and excited.

The theatre also possesses boxes; some of these show closed

curtains - their inhabitants presumably engaged in private
intimacies. In one of them sits Salieri.

QUEEN OF THE NIGHT

(singing furiously)
A hellish wrath within my heart is
seething! Death and destruction Flame
around my throne! If not by thee
Sarastro's light be extinguished.
Then be thou mine own daughter never
more! Rejected be forever! So sundered
be forever All the bonds of kin and

blood! Hear! Hear! Hear God of

Vengeance! Hear thy Mother's vow!

Thunder and lightning. She disappears amidst tremendous

applause from the audience.

CUT TO:

EXT. OUTSIDE THE THEATRE - NIGHT - 1790'S

On the poster for The Magic Flute, the name Emmanuel

Schikaneder should appear very, very large and the name of
Mozart quite small:

I. & R. priv. Weiden Theatre

The Actors of the Imperial and Royal
Privileged Theatre of the Weiden
Have the honour to perform
THE MAGIC FLUTE
A Grand Opera in Two Acts
By
Emmanuel Schikaneder
(The Cast List)

The music is by Herr Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Herr Mozart

out of respect for a gracious and honourable Public, and
from friendship for the author of this piece, will today

direct the orchestra in person.

The book of the opera, furnished with two copperplates, of

which is engraved Herr Schikaneder in the costume he wears
for the role of Papageno, may be had at the box office for
30 kr.

Prices of admission are as usual To begin at 7 o'clock

INT. STAGE, AUDITORIUM AND WINGS OF SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE NIGHT -1790'S

We CUT TO the scene immediately before Papageno's song, Ein

Madchen oder Weibchen. Papageno, played by Schikaneder,
dressed in his costume of feathers, is trying to get through
a mysterious door. A voice calls from within.

VOICE
Go back!

Papageno recoils.

PAPAGENO
Merciful Gods! If only I knew by
which door I came in.
(to audience)
Which was it? Was it this one? Come

on, tell me!

VOICE
Go back!

Papageno recoils.

PAPAGENO
Now, I can't go forward and I can't
go back. Oh, this is awful!

He weeps extravagantly.

In the pit, Mozart indicates to the first violinist to take

over as conductor. He slips from his place and goes stealthily
backstage. We follow him. Over the scene we hear Papageno
being addressed by the First Priest in stern tones.

FIRST PRIEST
(on stage)
Man, thou hast deserved to wander
forever in the darkest chasms of the
earth. The gentle Gods have remitted
thy punishment, but yet thou shalt
never feel the Divine Content of the
consecrated ones.

PAPAGENO
Oh well, I'm not alone in that. Just
give me a decent glass of wine that's divine content enough for me.

Laughter. An enormous goblet of wine appears out of the earth.

We follow Mozart into the wings. Actors and actresses stand

around in fantastic costumes. We see a flying chariot and
parts of a huge snake lying about. Also the scenery door of
a temple with the word 'Wisdom' inscribed on the pediment.
Mozart walks to where there stands a keyboard glockenspiel
with several manuals, and a musician waiting to play it.
Silently Mozart indicates that he wishes to play the
instrument himself.

On stage Schikaneder is being addressed haughtily by the

First Priest.

FIRST PRIEST
Man, hast thou no other desire on
earth, but just to eat and drink?

PAPAGENO
(Schikaneder)
Well!

Laughter from the audience.

PAPAGENO
Well, actually I do have a rather
weird feeling in my heart. Perhaps
it's just indigestion. But you know,
I really would like - I really do
want - something even nicer than
food and drink. Now what on earth
could that be?

He stares at the audience and winks at them. They laugh.

Now Papageno's aria (Ein Madchen oder Weibchen) begins. It

is interpolated, as he pretends to play his magic bells,
with the glockenspiel actually being played off-stage by
Mozart. Schikaneder looks into the pit and does not see Mozart
conducting. He looks into the wings and realizes the situation
with amusement. He sings joyfully and the audience watches
entranced.

ANDANTE
A sweetheart or a pretty little wife
is Papageno's wish. A willing,
billing, lovey dovey Would be My
most tasty little dish. Be my most
tasty little dish! Be my most tasty

little dish!

ALLEGRO
Then that would be eating and drinking
I'd live like a Prince without
thinking. The wisdom of old would be
mine - A woman's much better than
wine! Then that would be eating and
drinking! The wisdom of old would be
mine - A woman's much better than
wine. She's much better than wine!
She's much better than wine!

ANDANTE
(encore, lightly, as
before)
A sweetheart or a pretty little wife
is Papageno's wish. A willing,
billing, lovey dovey Would be My
most tasty little dish.

ALLEGRO
I need to net one birdie only And I
will stop feeling so lonely. But if
she won't fly to my aid, Then into a
ghost I must fade. I need to net one
birdie only But if she won't fly to

my aid, Then into a ghost I must

fade. To a ghost I must fade! To a
ghost I must fade!

ANDANTE
(encore)
A sweetheart or a pretty little wife
is Papageno's wish. A willing,
billing, lovey dovey Would be My
most tasty little dish.

ALLEGRO
At present the girls only peck me.
Their cruelty surely will wreck me.
But one little beak in my own, And
I'll up to heaven be flown! At present
the girls only peck me. But one little
beak in my own, And I'll up to heaven
be flown. Up to heaven be flown! Up
to heaven be flown!

At certain moments we see the stage from Salieri's point of

view: Schikaneder singing, then pretending to play; and then
we see Mozart playing the glockenspiel with great flourishes
in the wings. Then, suddenly, the actor mimes playing, and
no sound comes. He mimes again, but still nothing comes. He
looks offstage in anxiety; there is evidently some commotion.

People are looking down on the floor. The song comes to a

near-halt. Schikaneder stares. Then the comedian signals to
the deputy conductor to pick up the song and finish it. At
this moment Salieri gets up and hastily leaves his box.

CUT TO:

INT. WINGS OF SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - NIGHT - 1790'S

We see the actress playing Papagena, wearing an old tattered

cloak and about to tie a little painted cloth representing a
hideous old woman over her face. She is looking worriedly
down at Mozart, who is lying unconscious on the floor.

A few people around him are trying to revive him. One has
put a wet handkerchief around his temples. Another is holding
a small bottle of smelling salts. There are voices saying,
'Doctor! Take him to a dressing room. Someone call a carriage.
Take him home.' Etc. Papagena is urged to go on stage by a
distracted stage manager. Suddenly we hear the voice of
Salieri.

SALIERI
I'll take care of him.

He steps forward.

SALIERI
I have a carriage. Excuse me.

The actors step back respectfully. He stoops and picks up

the frail composer in his arms. Mozart is quite limp and
Salieri has to fling his arms around his own neck. All this
is watched nervously by Schikaneder on stage whilst performing
his scene with Papagena as an ugly old woman.

UGLY OLD WOMAN

Here I am, my angel.

PAPAGENO
(appalled)
What? Who the devil are you?

UGLY OLD WOMAN

I've taken pity on you, my angel. I
heard your wish.

PAPAGENO
Oh. Well, thank you! How wonderful.
Some people get all the luck.

Audience laughter. The actress raises the little painted

cloth with the ugly old face on it to show her own pretty
young one to the audience. More laughter.

UGLY OLD WOMAN

Now you've got to promise me
faithfully you'll remain true to me
forever. Then you'll see how tenderly
your little birdie will love you.

PAPAGENO
(nervous)
I can't wait.

UGLY OLD WOMAN

Well, promise then.

PAPAGENO
What do you mean - now?

UGLY OLD WOMAN

Of course now. Right away, before I
get any older.

Laughter.

PAPAGENO
Well, I don't know! I mean you're a
delicious, delightful, delectable
little bird, but don't you think you

might be just a little tough?

UGLY OLD WOMAN

(amorously)
Oh, I'm tender enough for you, my
boy. I'm tender enough for you.

Laughter.

EXT. SCHIKANEDER'S THEATRE - NIGHT - 1790'S

A waiting sedan chair. Mozart has recovered consciousness,

but looks exceedingly ill. Salieri has set him down in the
winter's night. Snow is falling.

MOZART
What happened? Is it over?

SALIERI
I'm taking you home. You're not well.

MOZART
No, no. I have to get back. I have -

He starts to collapse again. Salieri helps him into the sedan.

The door is shut. The chair sets off and Salieri strides
beside it, through the mean street. A lantern with a candle

swings from the chair.

INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1790'S

The door opens. Salieri enters carrying the lantern from the
sedan chair. He is followed by Mozart, carried in the arms
of one of the porters. The room is now really in complete
disarray. The table is piled high with music: the pages of
the Requiem lie amongst many empty wine bottles. The porter
carries Mozart into

INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790'S

This room is miserably neglected. The bed is unmade, clothes

lie about on the floor. A sock has been stuck into the broken
pane of one window.

The porter lays Mozart down on the bed as Salieri lights

candles from the lantern to reveal plates of half-eaten food
and other signs left by a man whose wife has departed. It is
obviously very cold. Another very small bed nearby belongs
to the child, Karl.

SALIERI
(handing the porter
the lantern)
Thank you. Go.

The porter leaves the room. Mozart stirs.

MOZART
(vaguely singing)
Papa! Papa!

He opens his eyes and sees Salieri staring down at him. He

smiles.

SALIERI
Come now.

He helps him to sit up and takes off his coat and his shoes
and puts a coverlet around him.

SALIERI
Where is your wife?

MOZART
Not here! She's not well, either.
She went to the Spa.

SALIERI
You mean she's not coming back?

MOZART

You're so good to me. Truly. Thank

you.

SALIERI
No, please.

MOZART
I mean to come to my opera. You are
the only colleague who did.

He struggles to loosen his cravat. Salieri does it for him.

SALIERI
I would never miss anything that you
had written. You must know that.

MOZART
This is only a vaudeville.

SALIERI
Oh no. It is a sublime piece. The
grandest operone. I tell you, you
are the greatest composer known to
me.

MOZART
Do you mean that?

SALIERI
I do.

MOZART
I have bad fancies. I don't sleep
well anymore. Then I drink too much,
and think stupid things.

SALIERI
Are you ill?

MOZART
The doctor thinks I am. But -

SALIERI
What?

MOZART
I'm too young to be so sick.

There is a violent knocking at the front door. Mozart starts

and looks around wildly.

SALIERI
Shall I answer it?

MOZART
No! No, it's him!

SALIERI
Who?

MOZART
The man. He's here.

SALIERI
What man?

The knocking increases in loudness, terrifying Mozart.

MOZART
Tell him to go away. Tell him I'm
still working on it. Don't let him
in!

Salieri moves to the door.

MOZART
Wait! Ask him if he'd give me some
money now. Tell him if he would,
that would help me finish it.

SALIERI

Finish what?

MOZART
He knows. He knows!

Salieri leaves the room.

INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT - 1790'S

Salieri goes to the front door and opens it to reveal

Schikaneder, who has obviously come straight from the theatre.
He still wears his bird make-up and under his street cloak,
his feathered costume is clearly seen. He has with him the
three actresses, also looking anxious and also in make-up as
the three attendants in The Magic Flute.

SCHIKANEDER
Herr Salieri.

SALIERI
Yes, I am looking after him.

SCHIKANEDER
Can we come in?

SALIERI
Well, he's sleeping now. Better not.

SCHIKANEDER
But he's all right?

SALIERI
Oh, yes. He's just exhausted. He
became dizzy, that's all. We should
let him rest.

SCHIKANEDER
Well, tell him we were here, won't
you?

SALIERI
Of course.

SCHIKANEDER
And say everything went wonderfully.
A triumph-de-luxe - say that! Tell
him the audience shouted his name a
hundred times.

SALIERI
Bene.

SCHIKANEDER
I'll call tomorrow.

SALIERI
Yes.
(to the actresses)
And congratulations to all of you.
It was superb.

ACTRESSES
Thank you! Thank you, Excellency!

Schikaneder produces a bag of money.

SCHIKANEDER
Oh, by the way, give him this. This
is his share. That should cheer him
up, eh?

SALIERI
Yes, indeed. Goodnight to you all
now. It was perfection - truly!

ACTRESSES
(delighted)
Goodnight, Your Excellency.
Goodnight!

They bob and curtsey. Schikaneder stares at Salieri, uneasily,

vaguely suspicious. Salieri smiles back at him and shuts the

door. He stays for a moment, thinking. He contemplates the
money.

INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT - 1790'S

Mozart is sitting up in bed, staring at the door. It opens.

Salieri returns. He holds in his hand the bag of money.

MOZART
What happened?

Salieri pours the coins out of the bag onto the coverlet.

SALIERI
He said to give you this. And if you
finish the work by tomorrow night,
he will pay you another hundred
ducats.

Mozart looks at the coins astonished.

MOZART
Another? But that's too soon! Tomorrow
night? It's impossible! Did he say a
hundred?

SALIERI
Yes. Can I - could I help you, in
any way?

MOZART
Would you? Actually, you could.

SALIERI
My dear friend, it would be my
greatest pleasure.

MOZART
But you'd have to swear not to tell
a soul. I'm not allowed.

SALIERI
Of course.

MOZART
You know, it's all here in my head.
It's just ready to be set down. But
when I'm dizzy like this my eyes
won't focus. I can't write.

SALIERI
Then, let us try together. I'd regard
it as such an honour. Tell me, what

is this work?

MOZART
A Mass. A Mass for the Dead.

CUT TO:

INT. A SMALL DANCE HALL - BADEN - NIGHT - 1790'S

Trivial dance music is playing. Constanze is doing a waltz

with a young OFFICER in military uniform. At the moment we
see her, she stops abruptly, as if in panic.

OFFICER
What is it?

CONSTANZE
I want to go!

OFFICER
Where?

CONSTANZE
I want to go back to Vienna.

OFFICER
Now?

CONSTANZE
Yes!

OFFICER
Why?

CONSTANZE
I feel wrong. I feel wrong being
here.

OFFICER
(laying a hand on her
arm)
What are you talking about?

CUT TO: