It is impossible to overstate the importance and impact Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had on music. The man has ascended far beyond legend, his historical existence is now wrapped up in and warped by imaginative rumors. Like any lay person I really enjoyed the movie “Amadeus” but even as I watched it for the first time, my brain was on high alert warning me that the story being told was likely rife with historically inaccuracies. From what I was able to gather, the feud between Mozart and Salieri was largely exaggerated at best, but more likely completely made up.
I had a similar experience not long ago watching “Bohemian Rhapsody” a couple years back. Enjoyable enough film, but I knew enough to know the story I was being told was artificially created for the sake of creating an entertaining movie. To the best of my knowledge Queen never put a foot forward wrong, ergo there was no conflict in build a story around, and it saddens me that people may now think that Freddie Mercury was more disrespectful to the rest of Queen then he was in reality. It is a lot easier to lie about Mozart’s life though, he lived and died a long time ago, long enough ago to enter the realm of folklore like other folk heroes throughout the ages.
The movie “Amadeus” is based off of a play by Peter Shaffer, where the conflict between Mozart and Salieri is the primary focus. Critics of “Amadeus” the movie and the play, may forever be aggravated by the unfortunate reality that the general public may now believe this folktale instead of the real history of these extremely talented men. However, Shaffer only retold the myth, which was possibly first explored in the novel “Mozart and Salieri” by Alexander Pushkin, who deliberately, and openly, fabricated the feud for the purpose of dramatic story telling. Pushkin is far from the first person to dramatize history for fictional entertainment, but even then, Pushkin was inspired by a rumor. There was a rumor that Salieri may have been responsible for Mozart’s death, though, while unfounded, apparently did haunt Salieri the rest of his life.
Historians are confident the two men were colleagues and friends, though not necessarily very close. It is believed that they may have worked together on a project, but I am not sure if that is true. Nonetheless, most of the world now casually believes Salieri is the archenemy of Mozart, and the three works fiction previously mentioned are far from the only examples of retelling this myth.
Case in point, there is a French Rock Opera based on the story from “Amadeus;” titled “Mozart, L’Opera Rock,” and while the story tells many aspects of Mozart’s life, most of them incorrectly, the climax is the Salieri feud.
The song of the hour is “L’Assasymphonie,” or “The Symphony.” This is the best song in the rock opera, and it is Salieri’s big dramatic song. The song is about Salieri’s jealousy for Mozart, and his internal strife facing the reality of his inferiority. Emotions the real Salieri probably never felt, or at least not so strongly. It is certainly possible, and understandable, that Salieri was jealous of Mozart. Hell, I am jealous of Mozart. Like so many dramatized versions of this man’s life, “L’Assasymphonie” possesses some fantastic over the top emotions allowing signer Florent Mothe to give a superb performance.
There is an irony I love with “L’Assasymphonie.” Salieri is singing about how untalented he is, meanwhile Mothe gives us the single best moment in the entire musical. Watching this play online, the crowd seems to agree with me, as they erupt with glee louder at the first note of “L’Assasymphonie” then at any other point during the play.
This somewhat reminds me of Carl Anderson in “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Wherein that musical’s quasi antagonist successfully steals the show because of the song writing and also the fantastic performance of Anderson playing Judas Iscariot. Comparably, in “Mozart L’Opera Rock” I feel stronger for Mothe’s depiction of Salieri more than anything else.
I have known about “Mozart L’Opera Rock” for many years. I stumbled across “L’Asssymphonie” while going down a French pop rabbit hole. Since my comprehension of French is poor, though improving considerably as of late, when I first heard “L’Assymphonie” I did not fully realize what I was listening to. I just thought this was a decent French pop rock song. However, it did not take me long to uncover the truth of the matter. Now here we are.
I have often thought about writing one of this music reviews about “Mozart L’Opera Rock.” Oddities like this was very much my style to write about. The fact there even exists a French rock opera about Mozart is incredible on its own, but I have mixed feelings about it.
For many of the reasons I love the Trans Siberian Orchestra, are also reasons why I enjoy “Mozart L’Opera Rock.” Blending rock and roll and classical music is one of my favorite things in the whole world, but “Mozart L’Opera Rock” is very French.
You know what I mean.
I love the French and all, but their acceptance of flamboyant cheesiness is far greater than most of the rest of the world. It is one of their weakness, but in many ways, it is also one of their charms.
Only recently did I watch the entirety of “Mozart L’Opera Rock.” I knew about a third of the songs, two thirds if you include the reworkings of classic Mozart music, and it was about everything I expected. The music was mostly great, some of the tunes were a little too pop for my liking, but overall, very good. Melissa Mars as Aloysia was very enchanting, and as already established Mothe as Salieri stole the show.
I was very happy with myself that I was able to understand a few lyrics without translation.
“Tout le monde y pense,
Tout le monde y croit,
Tout le monde espere.”
However, as I recommend “Mozart L’Opera Rock” I suspect some will be put off by just how lame it is. I mean those outfits, yeesh. Even our main man Mothe looks like how an eight-year-old would dress up as a vampire for Halloween. Having said that, I do not know how I would think to improve upon anything. The cringe is part of the charm. So, if the French sensibilities are too much for you, I would advise trying to look past it, because there is a lot to enjoy in a rock opera about Mozart.
I take some joy in knowing that we live in a world where there exists a French rock opera about Mozart.
- King of Braves
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