The work of A. S. Pushkin "Mozart and Salieri": genre, summary

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The work "Mozart and Salieri", whose genre is a small tragedy, was written by the famous Russian poet, writer and playwright A. S. Pushkin. The author conceived the idea of writing a new play in 1826, but created it in the most fruitful period of his work - during the so-called Boldin autumn. The play was published in 1831, immediately giving rise to one of the most enduring myths that the composer Salieri killed his friend Mozart. The text of the drama became the basis for the libretto of the opera of the same name by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as for film scripts.

Idea

The play "Mozart and Salieri", the genre of which is somewhat specific in comparison with other works of the author, was ready five years before its publication, as there are written testimonies of the poet's friends and some of his contemporaries. But the poet was afraid of official criticism, so he was in no hurry to publish it. He even tried to publish his new works anonymously or hide his authorship by pointing out that he had translated foreign works. The work was written under the strong influence of his previous major historical drama "Boris Godunov".

WoWhile working on it, Pushkin wanted to write a number of plays dedicated to historical episodes in other countries. And if in the first case he was inspired by the work of W. Shakespeare, then this time he took as a model the dramaturgy of the French author J. Racine, whom he preferred in terms of the harmony of the plot and style.

Story features

One of the most famous works of Pushkin was the play "Mozart and Salieri". The genre of this drama is very specific, since it is included in the cycle of the so-called small tragedies, which as such do not exist in literature, but were developed by the author himself exclusively for new works, of which there were only four. One of the main distinctive genre features of the work is the deliberate simplification of the plot. There are only two characters in this play (not counting the blind violinist who appears in one episode).

The entire composition of the play is monologues and dialogues, in which, nevertheless, their characters are fully revealed. The composition “Mozart and Salieri” is distinguished by the carefully written psychology of the characters. The genre of the play determined its intimacy: the action takes place in a closed space, which, as it were, sets off and emphasizes the dramatic nature of the story even brighter. The ending of the work is quite predictable: there is practically no intrigue in terms of the plot. The main plot is a demonstration of the inner world of the characters, an attempt to explain their behavior and motives.

Language

The drama "Mozart and Salieri" is very simple, but at the same time rich in vocabulary. Pushkin refusedfrom the complex literary turns that he resorted to when writing his previous tragedy, when he imitated Shakespeare. Now he was interested in the easy, elegant language of Racine. He ensured that the reader (or viewer of the theatrical production) was not distracted from the essence of the conflict and the opposition of the characters.

Therefore, he deliberately narrowed the scope of the narrative and sought maximum conciseness in dialogues and monologues. And in fact, both heroes immediately become very understandable, since from their very first appearance they clearly, clearly and accurately state their motives and goals in life. Perhaps, it was in small tragedies that the author's talent for captivating simplicity in vocabulary was especially clearly manifested. This is what attracts the reader to the drama "Mozart and Salieri". Pushkin wanted to make the meaning of the conflict as accessible as possible, so he avoided anything that could distract the reader. At the same time, the speech of the characters is not without some elegance: close to colloquial, it nevertheless sounds very melodious and harmonious. In the work under consideration, this feature is especially prominent, since two of its heroes are composers, people of mental labor who have a refined taste.

Intro

One of the most famous writers and poets is Pushkin. “Mozart and Salieri” (the summary of the play is distinguished by apparent simplicity and accessibility for understanding) is a drama that is interesting for its dramatic nature and complex psychological plot. The beginning opens with a monologue by Salieri, who speaks of his devotion andlove for music, and also remembers the efforts he made to study it.

At the same time, he expresses his envy (by the way, this was one of the draft titles of the play) to Mozart, who composes brilliant works with ease and virtuosity. The second part of the monologue is devoted to revealing his intention: the composer decided to poison his friend, guided by the fact that he wasted his talent and does not know how to find a worthy use for it.

The first conversation of heroes

Like no one else in a short work, Pushkin was able to convey the full depth of psychological experiences of Pushkin. “Mozart and Salieri” (the summary of the play is the best proof of this) is a verbal duel between two characters, in which their interests and life goals collide. However, outwardly they communicate very friendly, but the author structured their speeches in such a way that each phrase proves how different people they are and how irreconcilable the contradictions between them are. This is revealed already in their first conversation.

The theme of "Mozart and Salieri" is perhaps best revealed in the appearance of the first on the stage, which immediately demonstrates his easy and laid-back disposition. He brings with him a blind violinist who plays his composition badly, and the poor musician's mistakes amuse him. Salieri, on the other hand, is outraged that his friend makes fun of his own genius music.

Second Character Encounter

This conversation finally solidified the decisioncomposer to poison his friend. He takes the poison and heads to a restaurant where they have agreed to have dinner together. Between both again there is a dialogue that finally puts the dot over i. All of Pushkin's little tragedies are distinguished by such laconism of action. Mozart and Salieri is a drama that is no exception. This second conversation between the composers is central to the narrative. During this evening, their interests and life motives directly collide.

Mozart believes that a true genius cannot do evil, and his interlocutor, although amazed by this thought, nevertheless brings his plan to the end. In this case, the reader sees that Mozart is doomed. Pushkin builds his work in such a way that there is no doubt about it. He is primarily interested in what led to this drama.

Image of the main character

The tragedy "Mozart and Salieri" is interesting in terms of the psychological confrontation of these people. The first character is very simple and direct. It never enters his head that his friend is jealous of him. But as a real genius of art, he has an unusual flair that tells him a quick end, which he also tells him about. Mozart tells Salieri a story about a strange customer who ordered him a requiem and has not appeared since.

From then on, it seemed to the composer that he was writing a funeral mass for himself. In this short story, there is a premonition of the impending end, although he does not giveknow exactly how it will happen.

Salieri's image

This composer, on the contrary, is even more determined to carry out his cunning plan. This is especially evident in the scene when Mozart plays excerpts from the requiem for him. This moment is one of the strongest in the play. In this episode, Mozart again appears before the reader as a musical genius, and Salieri as evil personified. Thus, the author clearly demonstrated his idea that these two concepts are incompatible with each other.

Idea

The work "Mozart and Salieri" is the most philosophical work in the cycle of small tragedies, since it most fully expresses the problem of the confrontation between good and evil, embodied in the great composer and his envious. Pushkin ideally chose the heroes to embody his idea: after all, it is real, true creativity that becomes the arena of the struggle between these two opposing principles. Therefore, this drama has existential significance. And if other works of the cycle under consideration have a fairly dynamic plot that moves the main idea, then in this play everything is the opposite: the author put forward the philosophical idea that real creativity is the meaning of life, and the plot plays an auxiliary role, shading the writer's idea.