The opening scene of Episode 1 of Amadeus plunges us into the desperate act of Antonio Salieri, as he attempts to end his life by leaping from his window. His pocket holds a letter addressed to Constanze Mozart, whose arrival halts his fatal fall and stanch the flow of blood from his throat, leaving a thin trail of crimson in its wake.
As Constanze is escorted to Salieri, he perks up immediately upon seeing her, acknowledging that he has a confession to make. We then journey back to Vienna in 1781, ten years before Mozart's demise. Salieri, the Imperial court composer, is thrilled to show Emperor Joseph his latest compositions, determined to climb the ranks while adhering to all the rules and his devout religious beliefs.
Despite his own innovative ideas, the Emperor tasks Salieri with a safe and effortless option in Tarare. However, the Emperor proposes remaking a French opera into an Italian piece—a decision that will forever alter Salieri's life. The Baroness's party is just around the corner, and there's a surprise guest in attendance: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The very name of Mozart sends a shiver down even the most jaded of hearts. He's a hit with the ladies, but his past ghosts linger, haunting him. His mother is gone, and his father disdains his choices in life. Mozart has undoubtedly heard of Salieri and his talent, and their paths cross when Salieri witnesses Mozart wooing a woman in the midst of the party and engaging in a passionate tryst in one of the rooms. But what shocks Salieri more than anything is Mozart's effortless musical prowess.
Mozart's compositions teem with layers of depth that resonate through his work. Salieri is impressed but taken aback when Mozart reveals his desire to meet Emperor Joseph and his plans to write for the Imperial opera.
As the sun set on Salieri's final decision to orchestrate the long-awaited meeting, he found himself returning to his humble abode, a renewed spark of creativity igniting within him—a fervent desire to pen a masterpiece. Yet, as he settled at the piano, the muses seemed to have deserted him, leaving nothing but a barren silence in their wake.
Meanwhile, Amadeus and Constanze's bond deepened, though the latter faced relentless taunts from her sisters for her aspirations of becoming a singer. They scoffed at her for her inability to reach the highest of the four notes, a mockery that seemed to echo through the air like a dissonant chord.
The time had come for Amadeus to meet with the Emperor, and he drew a throng of admirers with his effortless ability to interpret compositions from memory, indirectly lashing out at Salieri's earlier work. Mozart's talent was undeniable, and Salieri's concern grew with every note he played—a worry that he would be overshadowed by the younger man's effortless brilliance. The fact that Amadeus even played blindfolded only fueled Salieri's anxiety further.
Despite his flamboyant display and undeniable skill, Amadeus was seething with rage upon learning that his big competition had tied with a rival pianist. He ventured outside to confront Salieri, who confessed that the Emperor had given him the green light to commission an opera.
At the palace, Mozart unleashed his vision—an audacious plan to set an opera in a brothel, sung in German and with a theme all his own. It was a bold move, a risky play that dared to push boundaries. The Emperor indulged him, albeit with a small budget, while Salieri fumed at being snubbed for his own ambitious opera ideas.
As Salieri prepared for the rehearsals of Tarare, Amadeus appeared to thank him for his assistance in gaining favor with the Emperor. Yet, beneath their shared space, Mozart and Salieri held vastly different beliefs about the source of their gifts—Salieri convinced that music was a gift from God, an act of divine intervention that allowed them to play in pursuit of closer union with the Almighty.
As Amadeus looks at the music, he sees it as a mathematical puzzle to be solved, with notes that need to be analyzed and played. He encourages Salieri to try a different kind of night music, hinting at his sexual desires, as if to "unclog the pipes." When Amadeus performs his opera from the front, it is a resounding success. The main character is Constanze, and she is not unaware of the attention it garners.
After the performance, the Emperor steps on stage and tells Amadeus that his play was good but not without its faults. Amadeus, unfazed, challenges this notion, and the Emperor stumbles, claiming that the audiences are being bombarded with notes. Salieri, however, refuses to defend Amadeus or his music, prompting Amadeus to tell him outside that maybe God doesn't speak to him because he's bored of him.
A month later, in the palace gardens, Amadeus rubs salt in the wound for Salieri by performing a piece while claiming that a voice has spoken to him. The composition's name? "A Little Night Music." This small but not-so-subtle dig solidifies Salieri's resolve. He is going to kill Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
