Q&A with Paul Zaentz, of the Saul Zaentz Company, on Saturday, September 13.

 

70mm print, print courtesy of The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, England! Amadeus was adapted from the hit play by its author, Sir Peter Shaffer. Described by Shaffer as “a fantasia based on fact,” Amadeus was inspired by persistent rumors from the early 19th century that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had been poisoned by a jealous rival, Antonio Salieri. Salieri was a successful court composer driven mad by the knowledge of his own mediocrity when compared to Mozart’s God-given genius. The film Amadeus much more than the stage production is a celebration of Mozart’s timeless music. All the music in Amadeus was newly recorded for the film by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under the direction of Sir Neville Marriner. Amadeus was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won eight including Best Film. The soundtrack on Fantasy Records won the Grammy for Best Classical Album and was certified gold, selling over 100,000 copies.