swear to you,
there's nothing like that in the piece.
l took out everything
that could give offense.
l hate politics.
l'm afraid you're
rather innocent, my friend.
ln these dangerous times...
...l cannot afford to provoke
our nobles or our people...
...simply over a theatre piece.
Majesty, this is just a frolic.
A piece about love.
Love.
Again!
And it's new!
lt's entirely new. lt's so new
that people will go mad for it.
l have scenes....
The end of the second act,
for example....
lt's a simple duet...
...just a husband and a wife quarreling.
Suddenly...
...the wife's scheming little maid
comes in. lt's a very funny situation.
Duet turns into trio.
The valet enters.
He's plotting with the maid.
Trio turns into quartet.
Then a gardener comes in.
Quartet becomes quintet,
and so on and on...
...sextet, septet, octet.
How long do you think
l can sustain that?
l have no idea.
Guess.
Guess, Your Majesty.
lmagine the longest
it could be sustained...
...then double it.
6?
7 minutes.
8 minutes?
20, sire! 20 minutes!
20 minutes of continuous music.
No recitatives!
Only opera can do this.
ln a play, if more than one person
speaks at once...
...it's just noise.
No one can understand a word.
But with opera, with music....
With music you can have 20 individuals
all talking at the same time.
And it's not noise.
lt's a perfect harmony!
Music is not the issue.
No one doubts your talent. lt's your
literary judgment that's in question.
Even with the politics taken out of it,
it would still remain a vulgar farce.
Why waste your spirit on such rubbish?
Surely...
...you can choose more elevated themes.
Elevated!
What does that mean, elevated?
l am fed...
...to the teeth with these...
...elevated things.
Old dead legends.
Why must we go on forever...
...writing only about gods and legends?
Because they do.
They go on forever.
At least what they represent:
the eternal in us.
Opera is here to ennoble us, Mozart.
You and me,
just the same as His Majesty.
Come on now, be honest!
Who wouldn't rather listen
to a hairdresser than Hercules?
Or Horatius or Orpheus.
So lofty, they sound as if
they shit marble!
What!
Govern your tongue, Mozart,
how dare you!
Forgive me, Majesty.
l'm a vulgar man.
But, l assure you,
my music is not.
You are passionate, Mozart...
...but you do not persuade.
Sire, the whole opera is finished.
You know how much work l did?
His Majesty has been...
...more than patient.
How can l persuade you
if l can't show it?
That will do.
Let me tell how it begins.
May l just do that?
Show how it begins?
Please.
There's a servant down on his knees.
And do you know why?
Not from any oppression, no.
Because he's measuring a space.
Do you know what for?
His bed.
His wedding bed.
To see if it will fit!
Late!
On the beat.
Good!
Yes!
Early!
Mozart is already rehearsing.
ln that case, gentlemen, l think...
...we should help him all we can.
And do our best to protect him
against the emperor's anger.
What anger?
About the ballet.
What ballet?
Excuse me...
...but didn't
His Majesty specifically...
...forbid the ballet at his opera?
A word with you.
Certainly, Herr Direktor.
Now, Herr Mozart!
Five minutes, please.
Do you not know that His Majesty has
expressly forbidden ballet in operas?
lt's not a ballet, it's a dance
at Figaro's wedding.
Exactly. A dance.
Surely, His Majesty didn't mean
no dancing when it's in the story.
lt is dangerous to interpret his edicts.
Give me your score, please.
Thank you.
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
Taking out what you should
never have put in.
Please.
l have no one else to turn to.
What is it?
lt's unbelievable.
The Direktor has actually torn up
a huge section of my music.
They say l have to rewrite the opera.
But it's perfect as it is.
l can't...
...rewrite what's perfect.
Please.
Can't you talk to him?
Why bother with Rosenberg?
He's no friend of yours.
l