jcg@cbosgd.UUCP (Jim Grams) (10/10/84)
When the parallel between Shaffer's "Amadeus" and A. Pushkin's "Mozart and Salieri" was pointed out a few weeks ago in an article here, I mentioned it to my wife. She is an avid reader of Pushkin, and as a student of Russian Literature might have had something interesting to say on the subject. She had not actually read "Mozart and Salieri" but agreed to look into it. Whether English translations exist or not, we were unable to determine. Certainly Ohio State University's massive library had no record of it. She did find a Russian version, though, and read that. Now I certainly wouldn't want to accuse Mr. Shaffer of plagiarism, but from her description of it, I would have to conclude that there are disturbing similarities between Shaffer's play and Pushkin's. The plot is essentially identical, Salieri jealous of the ease by which Mozart creates music, conspires to ruin him and eventually cause his death. Shaffer's play updates Mozart's character a little, making him slightly more childish and snivelling, but Pushkin also used the idea of making Salieri more sympathetic by degrading Mozart. The denouement especially smacks of "coincidental" similarity, with Pushkin having Salieri appear before the broken Mozart as a dark menacing shadow, which leads to Mozart's demise. Sound familiar? Unfortunately for Pushkin, there is little to be done. This similarity apparently completely escaped critics' notice and since the play is a smash and the movie is big box office, Mr. Shaffer is immune to whatever outrage we who care about such things feel. Seems a shame to let him get away with it, though. I guess the ugly moral is, if you find a obscure story that's good, don't publicize it, steal it! Jim Grams cbosgd!jcg
grass@uiucdcsb.UUCP (10/11/84)
<munch> On my way to a MS degree in Russian, I took a course on Pushkin. We discussed the play "Mozart and Salieri" and its origins in that class. It seems that the theme of the play is semi-legendary. That is to say, the idea that Salieri murdered Mozart out of professional jealousy was part of the background gossip of the early 19th century. I can't give you a reference for that, but I do remember the professor saying it. I don't think you could accuse "Amadeus" of being plagarized any more than you can accuse Pushkin of plagarizing "Don Juan" in his version "The Stone Guest". (Puskin only wrote 4 plays in all. The other two: "Boris Gudonov" (Source of the Opera) and "A Feast in Time of Plague" (a very odd little play)). -- Judy Grass University of Illinois-- Urbana