Amadeus (1984): Mozart vs Salieri Real Story (Before the 2025 TV Show)

I actually threw the entire score in the fire. He made me so angry.

fire. He made me so angry.

You burned the score.

What if the bitter rivalry you see on screen was actually real? What if the actors playing Mozart and Salaryi grew to genuinely resent each other behind

the scenes, mirroring the very jealousy that drives the entire film.

[Music] Milo Foreman's Amadeus is a cinematic titan, a film that swept the Oscars and redefined the period drama. But the

drama behind the camera was in many ways just as compelling as the one in front of it. In this video, we're counting

of it. In this video, we're counting down the top 10 behindthe-scenes secrets of this 1984 masterpiece. From dangerous

filming conditions that could have burned down a historic landmark to the shocking lastminute accident that forced a main character to be recast overnight.

You're about to see this film in a whole new light. Released in 1984, Amadeus

new light. Released in 1984, Amadeus tells the story of Wolf Gang Amadeus Mozart through the eyes of his jealous rival Antonio Salieri. It was a critical

and commercial smash hit, winning an astounding eight Academy Awards, including best picture. It's a film that feels both historically epic and

shockingly modern. Do you remember the

shockingly modern. Do you remember the first time you heard that iconic high-pitched laugh? Or the awe you felt

high-pitched laugh? Or the awe you felt watching those lavish candle lit opera scenes? Today, we're pulling back the

scenes? Today, we're pulling back the velvet curtain to reveal the unbelievable stories that made it all

possible. Let's begin our countdown.

possible. Let's begin our countdown.

Number 10, the presenter who forgot the nominees. We start our list not on the

nominees. We start our list not on the film set, but at the 57th Academy Awards in 1985.

The legendary Sir Lawrence Olivier, one of the greatest actors of all time, is on stage to present the biggest award of the night, best picture. The tension is

palpable. The producers of The Killing

palpable. The producers of The Killing Fields, A Passage to India, Places in the Heart, and A Soldier Story are on the edge of their seats. Olivier, who

had been battling illness for years, opens the envelope. The audience holds its breath. He looks up and simply says,

its breath. He looks up and simply says, "Amadeus."

"Amadeus." There was just one problem. He

completely forgot to read the list of nominees first. A moment of confusion

nominees first. A moment of confusion ripples through the crowd. An Academy

official had to quickly rush to the stage to confirm that yes, Amadeus was indeed the winner. Producer Saul Zens upon accepting the award gracefully

thanked the legendary actor and then made sure to name all the other nominated films in his speech, giving them their moment of recognition. It was

a strange, slightly chaotic and utterly unforgettable end to the film's triumphant awards journey.

Number nine, The Skywalker Shadow.

Before Tom Hulse immortalized the role of Mozart with his giddy genius portrayal, another very famous actor believed the part was his destiny. That

actor was Mark Hamill. Fresh off his success as Luke Skywalker, Hamill had gone to Broadway to prove his acting chops, where he played Mozart in the

original stage version of Amadeus for eight shows a week. When the film adaptation was announced, he seemed like the obvious choice. But director Milos

Foreman never even gave him an audition.

Why? According to Foreman, Hamill was too famous as the Jedi hero. In his

words, the lightsaber was too bright, the shadow of Skywalker too long. He

felt audiences wouldn't be able to see Mozart. They would only see Luke. the

Mozart. They would only see Luke. the

part went to Tom Holy instead and Hamill was left to wonder what might have been.

The film could have been very different as other contenders for the role included Tim Curry, Mel Gibson, and even Mick Jagger.

Number eight, the last minute casting crisis. The role of Mozart's vibrant

crisis. The role of Mozart's vibrant wife, Constanza, was just days away from being played by a different actress entirely. Meg Tilly had been cast, had

entirely. Meg Tilly had been cast, had gone through rehearsals, and was already in costume, ready to shoot. The

production was set to begin. Then,

disaster struck in the most unexpected way. During a casual soccer game with

way. During a casual soccer game with other cast members just before filming began, Tilly tore a ligament in her leg.

It was a freak accident that threw the entire production into a state of panic.

They had to find a new constanza and they had to find her now. Elizabeth

Barage was cast almost overnight with absolutely no time for chemistry tests or extensive auditions. She was thrown into the deep end, but her performance

was so natural and compelling that it felt as if she had been part of the project from the very beginning. It's a

powerful reminder of how a single moment of chance can forever alter a classic film.

Number seven, playing with fire literally. One of the most breathtaking

literally. One of the most breathtaking aspects of Amadeus is its visual authenticity. Director Milos Foreman was

authenticity. Director Milos Foreman was obsessed with realism. And that

obsession led to a decision that was both brilliant and incredibly dangerous.

For the opera scenes, he decided to use only authentic natural light. This meant

filming inside the historic Estates Theater in Prague, the very same 18th century wooden building where Mozart himself had premiered Don Giovani in

1787.

To light it, the crew didn't use modern electrical equipment. They filled this

electrical equipment. They filled this priceless centuries old wooden theater with open flames, candles, and dozens of firepots.

Imagine the scene. A historic wooden building surrounded by silk costumes, velvet drapes, and powder dry wigs with real fire dancing off the walls. The

film's art director, Patricia von Brondenstein, later admitted she had nightmares about burning the place down, saying, "I thought God will truly punish

me if this place catches on fire." Every

flicker of candle light you see in those scenes is a genuine flame, creating an atmosphere of authentic beauty and very real danger.

Number six, the casting that almost happened. We already talked about how

happened. We already talked about how Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, was passed over for the role of Mozart, but he was just the tip of the iceberg in a

sea of incredible what-ifs for this film's casting. The list of actors who

film's casting. The list of actors who were considered or rejected for the two main roles is a hall of fame of talent.

For Mozart, a young Kenneth Brano thought he had legitimately landed the lead role, only to be dropped at the 11th hour when the director decided to

cast Americans for the leads. Other

contenders included Tim Curry, who had played Mozart on Broadway, and a young Mel Gibson. Even rock royalty wasn't

Mel Gibson. Even rock royalty wasn't immune. Mick Jagger also auditioned for

immune. Mick Jagger also auditioned for the part, but was turned down. And what

about Salieri? Imagine the intensity that could have come from Al Pacino or the gravitas of Donald Sutherland, who were both in contention for the role.

But perhaps the most shocking what if of all came from a studio that offered to finance the entire $18 million budget on one condition. Director Milos Foreman

one condition. Director Milos Foreman had to cast Walter Matau as Mozart.

Foreman immediately refused given that Mafau was over 60 years old at the time and Mozart famously died at 35. Can you

imagine the star of the odd couple in that iconic pink wig? It's one of Hollywood's most bizarre alternate realities.

Number five, the whiskey fueled laugh.

This is funny.

[Music] that laugh. It's perhaps the single most

that laugh. It's perhaps the single most memorable character trait in the entire film. It's high-pitched, giddy, and

film. It's high-pitched, giddy, and slightly unhinged. But delivering it

slightly unhinged. But delivering it consistently was a serious challenge for actor Tom Hulse. After months of filming, when post-prouction began,

producers asked him to recreate the laugh for additional audio recordings.

But Hulse discovered a problem. His

voice just wouldn't reach those high notes anymore. He couldn't find the

notes anymore. He couldn't find the laugh. His solution was unorthodox but

laugh. His solution was unorthodox but effective whiskey. Only after taking a

effective whiskey. Only after taking a few strong drinks could Hulse summon that manic giggling laugh that had become Mozart's sonic trademark. This

desperate method became a recurring necessity whenever the iconic laugh needed to be recorded for the final film. While there are dubious historical

film. While there are dubious historical claims about the real Mozart having a similar laugh, Hulse actually created it after Foreman asked him to come up with

something extreme.

Number four, the deliberate confusion.

The scene where a delirious dying Mozart dictates his reququum to a desperate salary is the dramatic core of the film.

The tension is unbearable as salary struggles to keep up with Mozart's feverish genius. And that confusion you

feverish genius. And that confusion you see on F Murray Abraham's face, it was 100% real. During the filming of this

100% real. During the filming of this scene, Tom Hulse Mozart would deliberately skip lines and jump ahead in the musical dictation. He was

intentionally trying to confuse Fury Abraham Salaryi to get a genuine reaction of frustration and bewilderment. So when Salaryi shouts

bewilderment. So when Salaryi shouts that Mozart's going too fast, it wasn't just acting. It was F. Murray Abraham's

just acting. It was F. Murray Abraham's

honest reaction to what his co-star was doing. This brilliant bit of

doing. This brilliant bit of improvisation layered on top of weeks of rehearsal with music advisers created a scene that feels breathtakingly

authentic because in that moment the actor's struggle was real.

And now the golden flicker moment number three, the real life rivalry.

We watch Amadeus and are mesmerized by the toxic dance of admiration and jealousy between Salaryi and Mozart.

It's the engine of the story. But what

is truly astonishing is that this onscreen resentment bled into real life, creating a genuine tension between the two lead actors. F. Murray Abraham

admitted it himself in an interview with the New York Times. The actress

originally cast as Constansa, Meg Tilly, was very close with Tom Hulse. Abraham

recalled, "They had these secret jokes and were always laughing together. I was

pushed out and I was resentful. I began

to have very nasty feelings that were exactly like Salaryi's feelings toward Mozart." He described this blurring of

Mozart." He described this blurring of lines between fiction and reality as a director's dream. Tom Hulse also

director's dream. Tom Hulse also confirmed the dynamic, stating that while they were friendly at times, at other times there was a rivalry between us, and I found myself suspicious of

him. They weren't just acting out a

him. They weren't just acting out a rivalry, they were living a version of it. And that raw, authentic jealousy is

it. And that raw, authentic jealousy is baked into the very soul of their Oscar-winning performances.

Do you agree that this is the golden flicker moment?

Number two, the real man in the mask.

The image of a masked figure sent by Salieri to torment Mozart by commissioning a death mass is one of the most haunting in cinematic history. It's

a brilliant plot device that depicts Salieri as a puppet master driving his rival to madness and death. The only

thing is it never happened that way.

Salieri did not commission the Reququum.

The real story is just as strange but involves a completely different person.

In 1791, a man did approach Mozart to commission the Reququium Mass, but his name was Count France Vonvseg.

The count was an amateur musician with a bizarre habit. He would secretly

bizarre habit. He would secretly commission works from famous composers and then pass them off as his own at his private concerts.

Mozart did indeed die before he could finish the piece, but it wasn't Salieri who helped complete it. That task fell to France Zutzmeer, a composer and

possible student of Mozart. The film's

central plot point is a masterful piece of fiction created for the original stage play by Peter Schaefer.

Number one, The Impossible Musical Perfection.

The number one secret of Amadeus is a testament to a level of dedication and artistry that is almost beyond belief.

When Tom Hulse was cast as Mozart, he faced a colossal challenge. He didn't

know how to play the piano. He was a guitar player. Director Milos Foreman

guitar player. Director Milos Foreman offered to use camera tricks and hand doubles to fake the piano playing, but Hulse refused. He was determined to make

Hulse refused. He was determined to make it look real. For 6 months leading up to and during the shoot, Hulse practiced

piano for 4 to 6 hours every single day, mastering the complex Mozart pieces featured in the film. He even learned to play one tune while lying on his back, a

feat he performs himself on camera.

But here is the truly mindblowing part.

His dedication paid off so spectacularly that music professors later studied the film frame by frame. Their conclusion,

not a single key is struck incorrectly when compared to the music being heard on the soundtrack. Let that sink in.

Every time you see Mozart's hands on the piano, what you are seeing is perfectly synchronized with what you are hearing.

It is a level of authenticity that is simply unprecedented and it stands as the ultimate tribute to both the actor's commitment and the genius of the man he

was portraying.

From real life jealousy to whiskeyfueled laughs and deathdeying pyrochnics, the story behind Amadeus is as rich and complex as a Mozart symphony. It's a

film made with a dangerous obsessive passion for authenticity. and it's why it remains a timeless masterpiece. If

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