Amadeus and Antonio

The music was heard again through the street of Vienna from yet at that moment it was the requiem mass for the dead.

“I confess…” the old composer shouted out in his sleep. The physician approached him with a look of anxiety on his face, as he sat down on the chair nearby he spoke to the housekeeper “There is nothing I can do for signore Salieri….of course if you keep him content then he would probably survive till the next spring.” The physician stood up heading for the door “You should make the fireplace warmer, it is winter and I afraid the cold would worsen him” “But sir, what will I do if signore Salieri keep talking to himself in his sleep?” the housekeeper caught up with the physician “I advise you to call for a priest.”

For the following days, Salieri suffered from a fever. The housekeeper was frightened of Salieri’s constant yell from his sleep; he then decided to follow the physician’s instruction. The priest came the week after when Salieri had recovered. To his surprise Salieri was playing a bizarre tune on his piano.

“Excuse me, but what is it that you are playing?” The Salieri stopped to turn his head in order observe the priest who was sitting on a small chair positioned in front of him.

“Leave me alone” Salieri exclaimed in frustration

“I cannot leave a soul in pain” the priest answered

“Do you know who I am?”

The priest was confused “Does it matter? All men are equal in god’s eyes.”

“Are they?” Salieri seemed to be amused by the priest statement

“Offer me you confession, I can offer you god’s forgiveness” the priest’s voice was serious

“Tell me, father how well are you trained in music?”

“I know a little, I was trained here in Vienna”

“Ah, you must know this” Salieri played an extract from the “Turkish march”

“Yes, I do; I am sorry I didn’t know you composed it”

“No, I did not… it was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” as Salieri spoke there was hatred in his voice.

“He was my idol! When I did not know his name I was still playing childish game but he, he was playing music for kings, emperors and even the pope.” Salieri faced the window “I asked my father if I can study music and be like Mozart, he was disappointed. But how could I tell my father how music meant to me? My desire was to sing to god through my music and a miracle happened, my father’s death allowed me to have a broad education for music. Isn’t that magnificent?” Salieri burst into laughter

“Many years later I was the court composer for Emperor Joseph the musical king, actually he had no ears at all but he adored my music. Everyone liked me; I liked myself… until he came to Vienna to play his music. As the emperor’s court composer I had the responsibility to analyse Mozart’s music sheets. In fact, they were his very first draft of music without any correction, it…it is like if he was taking dictation from his head of those lovely melody, those of such sweet delight, is was god who sang through this little man. But why? Why had god given the passion like a lust in my body then made me mute for he had given the talent to someone else, it was Mozart of course.”

Salieri pointing furiously at the priest “And, father, are all men equal in god’s eyes, now? That creature was talented; he improved my music effortlessly. He embarrassed me in front of the court through that obscene giggle, for that moment I knew god was laughing at me through that pathetic boy whose music was regarded as the best. Laugh, laugh signore Mozart show me your humour. ”

The priest noticed that Salieri could not control himself “Well, my son…”

“Oh no, because you are not to be trusted, you are unkind, you chose your instrument of boastful, lustful, I swear I would block your incarnation I swear as long as I have the health I will harm you silly little creature. I will have what is supposed to be mine”

Putting on a smile Salieri continued “I was jealous of his ability; his music was like no others, simple, comic but wonderful. Every note in his music made my failure more bitter. Then I was able to see it, the solution, I could finally triumph over god.” Insane laughter happened to come from Salieri

“I met Mozart in disguise to commission a Requiem Mass! Then I must achieve his death, how can you kill a man with your own hands, I wonder”

The priest was shaken “What?”

“Imagine it, the cathedral, all of Vienna, Wolfgang Mozart, little coffin in the middle. In that mournful silence music is heard, Requiem Mass for Mozart a great mass of death composed by his devoted friend Antonio Salieri, and only god and I would know that Mozart composed the piece himself. At last Salieri was touched by god and god forced to listen!”

Salieri changed his tone “. God was playing a game with me! God did not share the glory! I knew god was up to something, malicious. I have to spend the next 31 years watching myself slowly become extinct, no one now play my music anymore. I am forgotten, he is not.”

The priest was made speechless by Salieri’s confession "What about Mozart?"

"Who? Ah, Mozart, he died, I killed him, no god killed him. I did not killed him, he just simply died from... no matter he was dead and a shame the...the Requiem Mass was not finished." Salieri stood up to face the window once again, it was dark outside.

"It is time for bed signore" The housekeeper entered respectively "I thank you father."

"You ar...are very welcome" The priest exited the house in remorse for the composer. Salieri passed away a year later, his last words "I confess Mozart I killed you."