Dramatic works of Pushkin: "Mozart and Salieri", summary

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

The tragedy "Mozart and Salieri" is one of the chamber cycle of dramatic works by A. S. Pushkin, which the author himself called "Little Tragedies". Written in 1830, they raised philosophical and moral issues that were important for the poet and his close circle: the challenge to fate, the opposition of feelings of love to the sanctimonious morality of society in The Stone Guest; the destructive power of money in The Miserly Knight; the human and divine nature of a genius, his responsibility for his deeds and works in Mozart and Salieri; unwillingness to face circumstances, a protest against fatalism in life in "A Feast in the Time of Plague".

Mozart and Salieri

The tragedy "Mozart and Salieri", a summary of which can be reduced to a small retelling, is a philosophically deeply saturated work. The author considersthere are such important questions for every truly talented artist as whether a genius can do evil and whether he will remain a genius after that. What should art bring to people? Can a genius in art afford to be an ordinary, imperfect person in everyday life, and many others. Therefore, no matter how many times Mozart and Salieri is re-read in the original, a summary of this dramatic work, for a thoughtful reader there will always be something to think about.

The tragedy is based on rumors that the composer Antonio Salieri poisoned the brilliant Mozart out of envy. Of course, there is no direct evidence of this crime. But this is not important to Pushkin. Taking such a controversial detective story, the poet focuses his and our attention on something else: why does Salieri decide to end the life of his brilliant friend? Is it jealousy or something else? Is it possible to correlate a genius and an artisan? From the first reading of Mozart and Salieri, the summary of the tragedy, of course, does not give an answer. You need to think about Pushkin!

So, Salieri. We meet him at the very beginning of the work. Already in years, caressed by fame, he recalls his first steps in music. In his youth, feeling talent in himself, he, nevertheless, does not dare to believe in himself, diligently studies the work of great musicians and imitates them, comprehends “harmony by algebra”, without creating music with inspiration, according to the flight of his soul and imagination, as he did would be a genius, but “taking it apart like a corpse” into components, counting the notes and their variations inevery chord and sound. And only after carefully studying the theory, the mechanisms of creating music, its rules, Salieri himself begins to compose, burning a lot, leaving something after captious criticism. Gradually he becomes known, recognized. But the composer "suffered" his fame: writing for him is hard work. He himself understands that he is not a Master but an apprentice in the Great Art. But he has no envy of those who are more famous and talented, because the hero knows that his contemporaries achieved fame in the musical field also thanks to hard, painstaking work. In this they are equal.

Mozart, "an idle reveler", is another matter. He composes brilliant things easily, joking and, as if laughing at the philosophy of creativity that Salieri has been nurturing and creating for himself for so long. Salierivsky asceticism, the strictest self-discipline and the fear of deviating from the recognized canons in art are alien to the young genius. Mozart creates as he breathes: naturally, according to the nature of his talent. Perhaps this is what angers Salieri the most.

"Mozart and Salieri", a summary of it, boil down, in fact, to Salieri's internal dispute with himself. The hero solves a dilemma: does art need Mozart? Is now the time to perceive and understand his music? Isn't he too brilliant for his era? No wonder Antonio compares Mozart with an angel, a bright cherub who, having flown to earth, will serve as a reproach to people for their imperfections. Mozart, having set a certain aesthetic and ethical level with his work, on the one hand, raises the art and souls of people tonew heights, on the other hand, it shows what the current composers and their creations are worth. But are conceited mediocrities or just not very talented people ready to recognize the palm for someone? Unfortunately no! Pushkin himself found himself in a similar situation more than once, far ahead of his time. Therefore, even a brief summary of "Mozart and Salieri" helps to understand how the poet lived, what worried him during the creation of the tragedy.

Mozart comes to Salieri. He wants to show his friend a new “thing” that he recently composed, and at the same time “treat” him with a joke: passing by a tavern, Wolfgang heard a beggar violinist playing his melody, mercilessly out of tune. Such a performance seemed funny to the genius, and he decided to amuse Salieri. However, he does not accept the joke and drives the performer away, scolds Mozart, reproaching that he does not appreciate his talent and is generally unworthy of himself. Mozart performs a melody recently composed. And Salieri is even more perplexed: how can one, having composed such a wonderful melody, pay attention to the false passages of a homegrown violinist, find them funny, not offensive. Does he not appreciate himself, his genius? And again the theme of the sublime nature of true art arises: Salieri juxtaposes a friend with God, who is unaware of his divinity. At the end of the scene, the friends agree to have lunch together, and Mozart leaves.

When reading the tragedy "Mozart and Salieri", the analysis of the next scene boils down to how, with what arguments Salieri convinces himself of the need to end the life of a brilliant comrade. He believes that without Mozart, artit will only benefit that composers will have the opportunity to write music by virtue of their modest talents and without regard to a great contemporary. That is, by killing Wolfgang, Salieri will render an invaluable service to art. To do this, Antonio decides to use the poison received as a gift from his former lover.

The last scene is in the tavern. Mozart tells a friend about some strange visitor, a black man who has been following him lately. Then it comes to Beaumarchais, the same as Mozart, a man of genius, a playwright with a bright, sparkling talent and complete freedom in creativity. There was a rumor that Beaumarchais poisoned someone, but Mozart doesn't believe it. According to him, villainy and genius cannot coexist in one person. A genius can only be the embodiment of Good and Light, Joy, and therefore cannot bring Evil into the world. He offers to drink for them three, brothers in the world - Salieri, Beaumarchais and him, Mozart. Those. Wolfgang considers Antonio his like-minded person. And Salieri throws poison into his glass of wine, Mozart drinks, sincerely believing that next to him the heart is as sincere and big as his.

When Mozart plays "Requiem", not even knowing that, in fact, this is a memorial mass for himself, Salieri cries. But these are not tears of repentance and pain for a friend - this is the joy that the duty is fulfilled.

Mozart feels bad, he leaves. And Salieri reflects: if Mozart is right, then he is not a genius, because he committed villainy. But the famous Michelangelo is also said to have killed his sitter. However, the court of time recognized his genius. So he, Salieri, neverthelessgenius? And if everything about Buanarotti is the invention of a stupid crowd, if the sculptor did not kill anyone? Then Salieri is not a genius?

The end of the tragedy is open, behind it, as is often the case with Pushkin, "the abyss of space", and everyone must decide for himself whose point of view, Salieri or Mozart, to recognize as the truth.