Last spring the Symphony dazzled us with a powerful production of Mozart's Requiem. On March 28/29, Mozart is back again as we dive deeper into his life and work through a world premiere of Amadeus, a new adaptation of the award-winning play. This unique production was specially created by Maestro Stewart for the concert stage.
The story of the life and death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has it all: artistic genius, professional jealousy, 18th-century court drama, and unforgettably beautiful music!
Though most people know Amadeus as the most famous movie ever produced about classical music, the story of a toxic rivalry between Mozart and Antonio Salieri began as an 1830 play by Alexander Pushkin. Award-winning playwright Peter Shaffer was inspired to write his own version for Broadway in 1979, which garnered five Tony awards.
Shaffer then adapted his play for the Miloš Forman-directed film Amadeus, a huge commercial and critical hit that swept the Academy Awards in 1984. Like the plays that came before it, the film Amadeus interweaves fact and fiction to create a fantasia on the theme of Salieri and his love/hate relationship with Mozart.
While some have bemoaned the historical inaccuracies of the plays and film, many critics have become more accepting of the creative license taken by Shaffer and his collaborators. Since Amadeus came out, academia's tolerance has grown for movies that question the reputations of exalted geniuses like Mozart.
According to critic Simon Keefe, Amadeus gives us insight into how Mozart approached complex structures as a composer. It also encourages us to reflect on "the blurred line between fact and fiction, and between scholarly and popular perceptions of the man and his music."
Now it's Santa Cruz Symphony's turn to explore this compelling tale. Created by Maestro Stewart for the concert stage, our unique adaptation of Amadeus features the Symphony along with Santa Cruz Shakespeare's Artistic Director Charles Pasternak and actors Anjoli Aguilar, Will Block, and Shaun Carroll in a melding of live theater and symphonic music.
If you attended our Symphonic Shakespeare concerts last spring, you witnessed the enchantment of our collaboration with this incredible organization.
As one audience member told us after the concerts: "What a unique and superbly executed concept -- I had chills on multiple occasions and cried twice! I'm a lover of both music and theater, so this was a magical combination for me. Thank you!"
Our collaboration also includes Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus under the direction of Carlin Truong as they bring the beauty and resonance of their voices to Mozart's choral works.
Join us as we explore and celebrate the complex brilliance of one of the greatest composers of all time. Get your tickets now for this one-of-a-kind concert!
Saturday, March 28 ~ 7:30 PM
Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz
Sunday, March 29 ~ 2:00 PM
Mello Center in Watsonville
We are grateful to our Amadeus sponsors:
Concert Sponsors: Owen Brown & Mary Akin, Bob Edmund, Phil & Linda Segal in memory of Helen Jones, Todd & Corinne Wipke
Concert Co-Sponsors: Lee & Emily Duffus
Artist Sponsor: Redtree Partners LLP
