MOZART!
A rock star in the rococo era: MOZART! – The musical written by the successful duo Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay sheds light on the world-famous musician, the historical figure, a legend of classical music. Based on the biography of the world-famous Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the successful production by VBW casts a new light on a legend. Far from the usual clichés, MOZART! shows the brilliant artist as a complex and ambivalent figure, haunted by his own genius and struggling with the cruel challenges of life. Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay wanted to free the figure of Mozart from superficial worship and give the audience a glimpse of the real man Mozart with all his ups and downs. The world premiere took place on October 2, 1999, at the Theater an der Wien, directed by Harry Kupfer.
Synopsis
MOZART! recounts the life of the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as a captivating blend of reality and fantasy. It begins with a retrospective of his childhood, during which he was celebrated as a child prodigy, and shows his rapid rise in the music world. But as an adult, Mozart increasingly struggles with family and social constraints, as well as the expectations of his domineering father Leopold. While he yearns for creative freedom, he is haunted by inner demons and financial worries. An unseen character, the “Porcelain Child” Amadé, symbolizes his artistic genius and accompanies him through ups and downs. Mozart experiences triumphs, such as the premiere of The Magic Flute, but also personal losses, until he finally breaks under the demands of his own talent. His tragic death marks the end of his short but dazzling life, while his musical legacy remains immortal.
MOZART! - A global success on the international stage
The musical is a coming-of-age drama that seeks to free a clichéd historical figure from kitsch and idolization. Rather than focusing on the prevailing myth and genius of Mozart, it shows the legendary composer as a flawed, fragile and thus very tangible human being. After numerous runs in a total of ten countries (Belgium, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Lithuania, South Korea, Sweden), eight languages and a total of more than 3.2 million visitors, the international success of MOZART! remains unbroken.
