On Thursday evening February 2nd,
having discovered only in the morning that there was to be a live relay of
Amadeus from the National Theatre, I had hastily abandoned the intention to
watch 2 Trainspotting and booked ticket for the performance at the Cineworld,
Bolden, Tyne and Wear. I had been to see the production at the National Theatre
on New Year’s Eve during my visit to London for the New Year. I had wondered if
I would make the performance that day because of various industrial actions and
road closures from mid-afternoon in preparation for embank firework display at
midnight.
I had travelled early to London
from East Croydon Station to Victoria Station and then taken the bus to
Waterloo, walking the short distance to the theatre, arriving as the lunchtime
menu became available. Getting a bench table for four in the restaurant area I
had first enjoyed a bowl of soup with a small piece of baguette and then seeing
the bowl of chips purchased for a child by a young couple nearby, had done
likewise.
I had moved to a table in the main
course to read a book but was soon joined by a couple of ladies of my generation
who were anxious to arrange a taxi for the end of the performance a where they
had previously seen a previous production in New York. It is one of the few
joys of aging that strangers of all ages are willing to engage in conversation or
show trust as I had been asked to keep an eye on their child by the young
couple as they went to order their meal who spoke in an East European language,
but spoke English better than most and from conversation had lived and worked
in the capital for some time. The conversation had commenced when the child
turned around saw me gave a big smile and wave, so I waved back!
I had also previously seen a
theatre production of the Peter Shaffer play and the film in cinema theatre and
on TV. The unusual nature of the National Production is that a black man Lucian
Msmarti plays the central character of Salieri, and in an interview with Lucian
shown before the cinema relay performance commenced he confronts those who have
questioned his casting without seeing the show performance. On New Year’s Eve
sitting at the back of the stalls without the benefit of close I considered his
performance on of the greats of my lifetime ranking alongside that of Olivier
as Archie Rice in the Entertainer and has one of the two auditoriums at the
National named after him. The close on Thursday evening reinforced my first
reaction that this was one of the great dominating stage performances which as
he explained brought a depth of understanding that his deliberate successful
attempt to first restrict the rise of Mozart and then to destroy his reputation
and to prevent performances of his music, operas and his requiem masses was more
a protest to God than against Mozart whose music he appreciated more than any other
contemporary. The reality was at each step he took he own fame, fortune and power
increased while Mozart’s work became more creative, revolutionary and eternal.
The performance of Adam Gillam
as Mozart is also exceptional and he deserve being second centre stage at the
end followed closely by Karla Crome as his wife. The second unusual feature of
the production is having the 20 strong Southbank Sinfonia as playing actors
on the stage together with the six singers and the official 16 actors and
integrated cast of 42 and which as members of orchestra explained, usual they
sit near blending music with their neighbours to create the required sound, where
not only are they without music but stand and move with no immediate awareness of
the impact of the total sound on their audience.
On New Year’s Eve, having an
end of row seat. The next vacant having returned and gained a credit for the
adjacent seat. I had quickly made my way on what had been and remained an
unpleasant damp afternoon back to Waterloo station and took the underground Jubilee
line to Westminster and then a Circle/District line train to Victoria and where
there was no difficulty getting a seat on an early evening one stop train back
to East Croydon and the warmth of my Premier Room a few yards from the station.
My car was parked on site and purchased some food and a cold drink from the
adjacent Co-op for it too closed early. Having brought my printer, the lap top
and note book I could check emails, news and watch TV. Breaking off for the firework
from the annual Jools Holland show.
There was no such imperative
to rush from Cineworld on Thursday evening
but I noted that the cast did not hang about for more that the two
deserved curtain calls, if the National stage had a curtain. A special mention
of |Peter Schaffer who created this masterpiece of play whose prose also commands
thoughtful attention but also uses the music to show Mozart’s development and
how the music poured out from regardless of his circumstances until he appears
to have struggled before getting perfect his memorials for humanity to grieve.
I own a five CD collection of his Masses, The Horn and clarinet Concertos, both
on vinyl and CD, plus the concerto for Flute and Harp, Alfred Brendal playing
his piano concertos, operatic excerpts from several operas and the 34 excerpts
two and a half hours of CDs titled Amadeus, the essential Mozart which has been
filling my home for the great part of the day.
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