Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 99

H5 Austin American-Statesman Friday, October 12, 1984 Melody of madness Amadeus 9 explores the tension between genius and mediocrity Review i eyes scan Mozart's handwritten drafts, the audience hears what Salieri hears in his mind "phrase upon phrase of perfectly glorious music. With this, Salieri declares war on God and Mozart, and the remainder of the film is concerned primarily with Salieri's plot to do away with his rival. How does one cope with one's own mediocrity? How does one accept being an imperfect instrument when others more gifted seem undeserving of their riches? Shaffer and Forman aren't so much concerned with the answers as with raising the questions, and toward this end they do a magnificent job. FORMAN IS GREATLY indebted to an excellent cast, especially to Tom Hulce as the hee-hawing Mozart and Jeffrey Jones' quietly hilarious portrayal of the emperor. My own personal Oscar, though, goes to F.

Murray Abraham's Salieri. This is a character that demands a perf ormance as great as Mozart's music, and Abraham delivers. Forman hasn't paced the action well; at two -hours and 35 minutes the movie runs longer than the play. But at least the extra time allows more use of music. And the music, like the movie, speaks for itself.

Amadeus, rated PG; at the Americana. By PATRICK TAGGART American-Statesman Staff Want to see something really scary? Imagine yourself the recipient of a gift, a talent for doing some single thing somewhat better than the next fellow. You are proud of this talent and use it to the maximum, even so far as to make your living by it. People admire your work and like you. And then from out of the blind side comes someone with the same talent only much, much bigger! Your best work is mediocre compared with this person's most casual brushstroke.

The person is a genius, his talent so enormous that most people can't even see it. In fact, because you are somewhat gifted, you are the only one who can! Welcome to living hell. And welcome to Amadeus. FOR THOSE WHO have seen the stage version of Peter Shaffer's brilliant and provocative play, no film has been more eagerly awaited this year. As directed by Milos Forman, the film is a faithful if not a literal transference of the work from stage to screen.

Producer Saul Zaentz wisely chose Shaffer to adapt his own work. The action opens much as it did bn stage, with the aged composer Antonio Salieri calling out "Mozart!" and attempting to kill himself by cutting his own throat. He fails, and at this point the film becomes a series of flashbacks as Salieri recounts for a priest the events leading up to his suicide attempt. They begin with Salieri's first meeting with the young genius Mozart. Salieri is court composer to the benign (and tin-eared) Emperor Joseph of Austria.

Mozart, in his 20s and already an established performer and composer, comes to meet the monarch and conduct a concert of his music. As Salieri listens in another room, he realizes that this music not his or anyone else's is the greatest in the world. Heavenly, even. He is at once filled with awe and terror and curses the god'that would give the gift of music to such a brattish, vulgar lout as the giggling Mozart. THIS IS AN excellent scene, but a better one comes later when Mozart's wife, Constanza (Elizabeth Berridge) comes to Salieri to ask his help in securing Mozart an appointment As his I Tom Hulce is the loutish Mozart who drives rival Salieri to a suicide attempt in Amadeus.

THE AUSTIN I ACTORS, Film T.V. Stage To be working with our agency throughout Texas: Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas ADVANCEMENT TO LOS ANGELES 385-8878 Beginners welcome October 12 13, 1984 8 P.M. U.T. Performing Arts Center Sung Kwak, Music Director 'J' 4 RSp'W Lydia Artymiw, Piano 1 CHINESE RESTAURANT HUNAN CUISINE $13.50, $12.50, Tickets on sale now at The Erwin Center and all UTTM TicketCenters: Hasting's Records Tapes (Northcross Mall), Sears (Hancock Center Barton Creek Square), The Performing Arts Center, Joske's (Highland Mall), The Paramount Theatre, Fort Hood (Fiddler's Green Rec. Center), SWTSU Strahan Coliseum (San Marcos).

NO CAMERAS. UTTM CHARGE-A-TICKET: 512477-6060. $1 convenience charge per ticket on all phone orders 7S( convenience charge at UTTM TicketCemera. Phone lines open 'til 8 PM weekdays 'til 6 PM on Saturdays. CALL NOWI Roman Carnival Overture BERLIOZ Piano Concerto No.

1 CHOPIN Fifth Symphony TCHAIKOVSKY GOOD NEWS! NOW SERVING WINE BEER Open 7 Days A Week LUNCH to DINNER to AH major credit cards accepted. 3207-2 Bee Caves Rd. West Woods Shopping Center 327-7776 Tickets available Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Symphony office, 1101 Red River.

(All U.T. student ticket sales at P. A.C. box office.) On performance dates, tickets are available from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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