Mozart and Salieri

A one-act opera by Rimsky-Korsakov in a spirit of the realism of the Mighty Five; one of Alexander Pushkin's Little tragedies under the same title was used by the composer as the libretto, in an almost unchanged form, hence the work is sometimes referred to as "Pushkin's dramatic scenes". The contents refer to the alleged circumstances of death of W. A. Mozart - according to the legend, the genius composer was poisoned by his rival Antonio Salieri, jealous of his talent (Peter Schaffer's subsequent play Amadeus and its film adaptation, directed by Miloš Forman and awarded eight Oscars, were created on the basis of similar themes).

The intimate character of the opera and the moderate means of artistic expression (few cast members, a strictly syllabic recitative that accurately reflects the intonation and accents of the language, sometimes transforming into a free arioso) fit into the strive for realism that returns to the history of opera now and again; at the same time, they provide a contrasting background for the quotes from Mozart's works, used by Rimsky (Zerlina's aria Batti, batti, the theme from ballet Les Petits Riens or, last but not least, the beginning of Requiem), enhancing their dramatic impact.