Maligned Master: The Real Story of Antonio Salieri

Maligned Master: The Real Story of Antonio Salieri by Braunbehrens, Volkmar. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780880641555.

Today Antonio Salieri is largely famous as Mozarts rival and, possibly, murderer. The play and movie Amadeus have revived the old legend. Rather few people also know Salieris work, which only in recent years has begun to be performed again. In this first biography of Salieri in 160 years we discover that Salieri was one of the most important opera composers of his time; the success of several of his over forty operas was spectacular. In Vienna, where Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt were among his pupils, he was the most influential personage in the music world, and he was celebrated throughout Europe - from Naples to Copenhagen, and from Lisbon to Moscow. Braunbehrens examines the composers life and carefully analyzes his relationship with Mozart, tracing the legends surrounding their relationship back to their sources and setting the record straight. We come to realize that only posterity placed Salieri in Mozarts shadow. The author also discusses in detail all of Salieris operas, both the libretti and the music. With Maligned Master he has written an important document for everybody interested in the history of opera.