up.
And do you know what he did?
He jumped into her arms and said,
""Will you marry me? Yes or no?""
You know all these gentlemen,
I'm sure. The Baron Van Swieten.
I'm a great admirer of yours.
Thank you.
Kapellmeister Bonno.
The Director of Opera,
Count Orsini-Rosenberg.
Sir, yes.
The honor is mine, absolutely!
Here is our
illustrious court composer. . .
. . .Maestro Salieri.
At last, such immense joy!
Diletto straordibario !
I know your work well, signore.
You know, I actually composed
some variations on a melody of yours.
-Really? Which one?
-Mio caro Adobe.
I'm flattered.
A funny little tune,
but it yielded some good things.
And now he has returned the compliment.
Herr Salieri composed
this little march of welcome for you.
Really?
Well, there it is.
Down to business.
Young man. . .
. . .we're going to commission
an opera from you.
What do you say?
Did we vote in the end
for German or Italian?
Actually, sire, if you remember,
we did finally incline to Italian.
Did we?
I don't think it was really decided,
Your Majesty.
-Please let it be German!
-Why so?
Because I've already found
the most wonderful libretto.
Have I seen it?
I don't think you have, Herr Direktor.
Not yet. It's quite new.
I'll show it to you immediately,
of course.
I think you'd better.
Tell us about it.
Tell us the story.
It's quite amusing.
The whole thing is set in a. . . .
Yes?
Where?
In a harem, Majesty.
In a seraglio.
You mean in Turkey?
Yes, exactly.
Then why especially
does it have to be in German?
It doesn't, especially. It could be
in Turkish if you really want.
No, dear fellow. . .
. . .the language
is not finally the point.
Do you really think that subject
is appropriate for a national theatre?
Why not?
It's charming.
I won't actually show
concubines exposing their. . . .
It's not indecent.
It's highly moral, Majesty.
It's full of proper German virtues!
Excuse me, Majesty, but what
do you think these could be?
As a foreigner, I'd love to learn.
Tell him, Mozart.
Name us a German virtue.
Love, Sire.
Love!
Of course, in Italy
we know nothing about love.
No, I don't think you do.
I mean, watching Italian opera,
all those male sopranos screeching. . .
. . .fat couples rolling their eyes about.
That's not love.
It's rubbish!
Majesty, you choose the language.
It will be my task
to set it to the finest music. . .
. . .ever offered a monarch.
Well, there it is.
Let it be German.
This is yours.
Keep it, if you want.
It's already here in my head.
What?
On one hearing only?
I think so, Sire.
Show us.
The rest is just the same, isn't it?
Doesn't really work, does it?
Did you try. . .?
Shouldn't it be a bit more. . .?
Or this?
Yes.
Better?
What do you think?
All I ever wanted...
... was to sing to God.
He gave me that longing. . .
. . .and then made me mute.
Why?
Tell me that.
If He didn't want me
to praise Him with music. . .
. . .why implant the desire. . .
. . .like a lust in my body?
And then deny me the talent?
Madame Cavalieri is here for her lesson.
Maestro!
How do you like it?
It's Turkish.
My hairdresser said that everything
this year's going to be Turkish.
Does he?
What else did he tell you today?
Come, come!
Give me some gossip.
I heard you met Herr Mozart.
News travels fast in Vienna.
And he's been commissioned
to write an opera. Is it true?
Yes.
Is there a part in it for me?
-No.
-How do you know?
Do you know where it's set, my dear?
Where?
In a harem.
What's that?
A brothel.
Come!
Let's begin.
What does he look like?
Mozart?
You might be disappointed.
Why?
Looks and talent
don't always go together, Caterina.
Looks don't concern me, Maestro.
Only talent interests a woman of taste.
Shall we continue?
There she was!
I don't know where they met or how.
There she stood!
Ob stage, for all to see.
Showing off like
the greedy songbird she was.
Ten minutes of ghastly scales.
Arpeggios!