Amadeus Live

To mark 40 years since the premiere of Miloš Forman’s film Amadeus, the Polish National Opera Chorus and Orchestra will perform the soundtrack live in-sync with the motion picture shown on a vast HD screen. The performance of Mozart’s most celebrated works will be conducted by Dawid Runtz.

The event is a tribute to the famed film that tells the story of two clashing composers: a joyful and frivolous genius (Tom Hulce as Mozart) and a lofty, talentless court composer (Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham as Salieri). Amadeus Live is a treat both for music lovers and fans of cinema who want to celebrate one of the most acclaimed movies of the 20th century.

Adapted from Sir Peter Shaffer’s original stage play, Amadeus the motion picture, stays true to its origins highlighting the contrast between, as Shaffer himself described, 'the sublimity of his [Mozart] music and the vulgar buffoonery of his letters' which, 'read like something written by an eight-year-old.' Vienna court composer, Antonio Salieri is consumed with envy upon discovering that the divine musical gifts he has so longed for all his life, have been bestowed on a bawdy, vulgar and impish young composer, Mozart. Salieri’s envy fuels his plot to destroy the man, while all the while unable to tear himself away from the genius of his music.

The spectacular scenery of 18th-century Vienna (the film was shot in Prague), dazzling costumes and hairstyles, Miroslav Ondříček’s cinematography, and screenplay by the author of the original play, Sir Peter Shaffer create a thrilling show. Amadeus is a film-opera that impressed with its scale, vision, and timeless story about human passions and weaknesses. Winner of eight Academy Awards in 1984, including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Set Decoration, Best  Costume Design, Best Makeup, and Best Sound. The success solidified Forman’s position as one of the most prominent European and Hollywood directors.   

Warsaw joins the elite group of cities that have hosted the event, including Tokyo, Toronto, Seoul, or Paris. Amadeus Live premiered in 2016 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.   

Music Director, Sir Neville Marriner said of Amadeus that his 'main concern is that the music should be presented faultlessly, not just technically, but as a perfect complement to what is on the screen. You can’t cut the music to fit the film. One of the good things about Amadeus was that the film was shot around the music- not the other way around as is usually the case'.

With Mozart at its core throughout, the music score of Amadeus contains some of the composer’s greatest work including The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, Symphony No. 25 in G minor, The Marriage of Figaro, and his Requiem in D minor.

Recorded by the orchestra of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and conducted by Sir Neville Marriner in 1984, the soundtrack to Amadeus reached No. 1 in the Billboard Classical Albums Chart, No. 56 in the Billboard Popular Albums Chart. It has sold over 6.5 million copies to date and received over 13 Gold Discs in countries such as the UK, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia making it one of the most popular classical music recordings of all time. The soundtrack also became the first ever, authentic classical album to make the pop charts in Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, the UK, and the US.

Amadeus is a screen triumph; a sumptuous period epic, a soaring celebration of the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

This special jubilee screening of Miloš Forman's eight-time Oscar-winning masterpiece is presented by Timeless Film Festival Warsaw (8–15 April 2024) and the Polish National Opera.