What's in a Name?

[Wyresider]

A thought ...

In 1830, Pushkin wrote a microplay about two composers whom he called Mozart and Salieri. Despite much searching, I have not come across anyone suggesting that the characters were other than those he named.

Now, suppose that the same play had been written with the characters called Smith and Jones. The world would at once have speculated as to who Smith and Jones represented. Would the world have thought: “Ah! he must be writing about Mozart and Salieri!” or would the world have come up with other names — names that Pushkin could not possibly have used unless he had inordinate faith in his lawyer? Mozart and Salieri were both safely dead.

Remember when the play way written. And remember Jones's (‘Salieri's’) soliloquy: the play is not about murder; it is about the jealousy and bitterness of a very able and hard-working `mechanicus' who is thwarted by the mere presence in town of a genius.

So — Mozart and Salieri — or “Smith and Jones?” Your thoughts, please.

[Megan]

A thought ...

In 1830, Pushkin wrote a microplay about two composers whom he called Mozart and Salieri. Despite much searching, I have not come across anyone suggesting that the characters were other than those he named.

Now, suppose that the same play had been written with the characters called Smith and Jones. The world would at once have speculated as to who Smith and Jones represented. Would the world have thought: “Ah! he must be writing about Mozart and Salieri!” or would the world have come up with other names — names that Pushkin could not possibly have used unless he had inordinate faith in his lawyer? Mozart and Salieri were both safely dead.

Remember when the play way written. And remember Jones's (‘Salieri's’) soliloquy: the play is not about murder; it is about the jealousy and bitterness of a very able and hard-working `mechanicus' who is thwarted by the mere presence in town of a genius.

So — Mozart and Salieri — or “Smith and Jones?” Your thoughts, please.

I suggest that Mozart & Salieri in Pushkin's drama is a variation on the Cain and Abel theme, that is Salieri represents 'Cain' who is filled with jealousy towards his brother musician , 'Abel'. And Mozart of course being very able
Didn't Salieri maintain that Mozart stole some of his works?

I could be wrong .

[Peter]

Of course a name is very important which is why many film stars, performers etc have changed theirs. Rather interestingly someone suggested recently that part of the popularity of kate Middleton lies in the ordinariness of her name - had she been Lavinia Upperton a whole new image (out of step with today's world) is created!

[Wyresider]

I think the time has come to explain my question.

When I read the play, I had a thought. It was likely a daft one, so before I posted it, I wanted to fish to see if anyone else had had the same idea.

Assuming that Pushkin was not making an accusation but merely fictionalising an extreme development of the theme of professional jealousy (I don't think anyone has suggested otherwise), was the jealousy that triggered his play Salieri's of Mozart, or Hummel's of Beethoven? I gave a hint to what I was thinking when I drew attention to the date Pushkin wrote it.

I suspect that Hummel may have been more sensitive to Beethoven's impact on his standing than Salieri of Mozart's on his. In any case, B & H were recent news, and big news (ok, not much the fault of either, it was their fan clubs', but a story is a story). M had been dead nearly 40 years -- old news.

S was now dead -- no come-backs. But not only was H alive, he could well afford the best lawyers in Europe.

So Pushkin could no way call them Beethoven and Hummel -- but he could call them Mozart and Salieri.

So once again -- your thoughts, please (after you have stopped laughing).

[Agnes Selby]

My thoughts - Pushkin was capitalising on gossip which was ripe in the cafes
of Vienna and possibly in Russia as well. I also think that his play had a great
influence on "Amadeus" and there are still people who believe that Salieri killed
Mozart. As a matter of fact, during one of my lectures, a student was
convinced of Salieri's guilt and there was nothing I could do to pursuade him
to change his mind. I am afraid, due to Pushin's play and the film "Amadeus"
the idea of Salieri having killed Mozart will be with us forever.

[Peter]

No I don't think he had Beethoven and Hummel in mind - although initially Hummel was overwhelmed by the great personality of Beethoven, he soon recovered his confidence and went on to enjoy a very illustrious career - he also played at Beethoven's memorial concert. As Agnes says, Pushkin was responding to the rumours about Mozart and Salieri which are even referred to by Beethoven's nephew in the conversation books.

[Wyresider]

Sorry, folks. I didn't know that the story was already café gossip -- I thought it originated with Pushkin. Thank you for putting me right on that.

[Peter]

Sorry, folks. I didn't know that the story was already café gossip -- I thought it originated with Pushkin. Thank you for putting me right on that.

It was shortly after Salieri died in 1825 that rumours first spread that he had confessed to Mozart's murder on his deathbed. Salieri's two nurses, Gottlieb Parsko and Georg Rosenberg, as well as his family doctor Joseph Röhrig, attested that he never said any such thing. So just how did this rumour start?

[Agnes Selby]

It was shortly after Salieri died in 1825 that rumours first spread that he had confessed to Mozart's murder on his deathbed. Salieri's two nurses, Gottlieb Parsko and Georg Rosenberg, as well as his family doctor Joseph Röhrig, attested that he never said any such thing. So just how did this rumour start?

Who started the rumour that Salieri poisoned Mozart is not known, but it spread rapidly through Vienna and indeed throughout Europe. It first appeared in the news on 25th May 1823 in the Leipziger Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung:

"Our worthy Salieri just won't die, as the popular expression goes. His body suffers all the infirmities of old age, and his mind is gone. In his distorted fantasies he actually claims to be partially responsible for Mozart's death - a bit of lunacy which surely no-one but the poor delirious man believes".

Salier's former pupil, Ignaz Moscheles returned to Vienna from London greatly concerned about him. He visited Salieri in October 1823. He issued a statement on behalf of Salieri who had told him: "Mozart, you know - I am supposed to have poisoned him. But, No, its malice. Tell the world, dear Moscheles; old Salieri who is about to die told you so himself.

As a matter of fact, Salieri, the great musician he was, enjoyed Mozart's works. According to the journalist Rochlitz, who met Salieri in 1822
and discussed the works of Mozart with the then old master had this to say:

" He especially liked the quartets and the operas, mostly The Marriage of Figaro. He considered Mozart's piano concertos the greatest instrumental pieces and the Requiem he considered seized by a spirit of Eternity and Holy spirit".

Pushkin, Rimsky-Korsakov who set Pushkin's play to music, Peter Shaffer
and Milos Forman have all profited from destroying a historical figure
until nothing is left of Salieri's excellent reputation.

[Roehre]

Regarding Beethoven and Salieri: as Salieri's health started to decline seriously the last months of 1823, we find testimonies of B's appreciation of Salieri as a person as well as of Salieri's music in the Konversationshefte from these months.