The plot of the tragedy of Mozart and Salieri. Analysis of a “little tragedy”

Composer Salieri sits in his room. He complains about the injustice of fate. Recalling his childhood years, he says that he was born with a love of high art, that, as a child, he cried involuntary and sweet tears at the sounds of a church organ. Having early rejected children's games and amusements, he selflessly devoted himself to the study of music. Disdaining everything that was alien to her, he overcame the difficulties of his first steps and early adversities. He mastered the craft of a musician to perfection, “to the fingers/Betrayed obedient, dry fluency/And loyalty to the ear.” Having killed the sounds, he dismantled the music, “trusted harmony with algebra.” Only then did he decide to create, to indulge in a creative dream, without thinking about fame. He often destroyed the fruits of many days of labor, born in tears of inspiration, finding them imperfect. But having comprehended music, he abandoned all his knowledge when the great Gluck discovered new secrets of art. And finally, when he achieved in limitless art high degree, glory smiled on him, he found a response to his consonances in the hearts of people. And Salieri peacefully enjoyed his fame, not envying anyone and not knowing this feeling at all. On the contrary, he enjoyed “the labors and successes of his friends.” Salieri believes that no one had the right to call him a “despicable envious person.” Nowadays, Salieri’s soul is oppressed by the consciousness that he envies, painfully, deeply, Mozart. But more bitter than envy is the resentment at the injustice of fate, which gives a sacred gift not to an ascetic as a reward for long and painstaking labors, but to an “idle reveler.” Harder than envy is the consciousness that this gift was not given as a reward for selfless love to art, but “illuminates the head of a madman.” Salieri cannot understand this. In desperation, he pronounces Mozart’s name, and at that moment Mozart himself appears, to whom it seems that Salieri said his name because he noticed his approach, and he wanted to appear suddenly to treat Salieri with an “unexpected joke.” Walking to Salieri, Mozart heard the sounds of a violin in the tavern and saw a blind violinist playing a famous melody; this seemed interesting to Mozart. He brought this violinist with him and asks him to play something from Mozart. Ruthlessly out of tune, the violinist plays an aria from Don Juan. Mozart laughs merrily, but Salieri is serious and even reproaches Mozart. He doesn’t understand how Mozart can laugh at what seems to him a reproach. high art Salieri drives the old man away, and Mozart gives him money and asks him to drink to his, Mozart’s, health.

It seems to Mozart that Salieri is not in a good mood today, and is going to come to him another time, but Salieri asks Mozart what he brought him. Mozart makes an excuse, considering his new composition a trifle. He sketched it at night during insomnia, and it is not worth bothering Salieri with it when he had Bad mood. But Salieri asks Mozart to play this piece. Mozart tries to retell what he felt when he composed and plays. Salieri is at a loss how Mozart could, going to him with this, stop at a tavern and listen to a street musician. He says that Mozart is unworthy of himself, that his work is extraordinary in depth, courage and harmony. He calls Mozart a god who is unaware of his divinity. The embarrassed Mozart jokes that his deity is hungry. Salieri invites Mozart to dine together at the Golden Lion tavern. Mozart happily agrees, but wants to go home and warn his wife not to expect him for dinner.

Left alone, Salieri says that he is no longer able to resist fate, which has chosen him as its instrument. He believes that he is called upon to stop Mozart, who by his behavior does not raise art, that it will fall again as soon as he disappears. Salieri believes that living Mozart is a threat to art. Mozart in the eyes of Salieri is like a heavenly cherub who flew into the world below in order to arouse wingless desire in people, children of the dust, and therefore it would be wiser if Mozart flies away again, and the sooner the better. Salieri takes out the poison bequeathed to him by his beloved, Izora, a poison that he kept for eighteen years and never resorted to its help, although more than once life seemed unbearable to him. He never used it to deal with an enemy, always prevailing over temptation. Now, Salieri believes, it’s time to use the poison, and the gift of love must go into the cup of friendship.

In a separate room of the tavern, where there is a piano, Salieri and Mozart are sitting. Salieri thinks that Mozart is gloomy, that he is upset about something. Mozart admits that he is worried about the Requiem, which he has been composing for three weeks now on the order of some mysterious stranger. Mozart is haunted by the thought of this man who was in black, it seems to him that he follows him everywhere and even now sits in this room.

Salieri tries to reassure Mozart, saying that all these are childish fears. He remembers his friend Beaumarchais, who advised him to get rid of dark thoughts with a bottle of champagne or reading The Marriage of Figaro. Mozart, knowing that Beaumarchais was a friend of Salieri, asks if it is true that he poisoned someone. Salieri replies that Beaumarchais was too funny “for such a craft,” and Mozart, objecting to him, says that Beaumarchais was a genius, like him and Salieri, “and genius and villainy are two incompatible things.” Mozart is convinced that Salieri shares his thoughts. And at that moment Salieri throws poison into Mozart's glass. Mozart raises a toast to the sons of harmony and to the union that binds them. Salieri tries to stop Mozart, but it is too late, he has already drunk the wine. Now Mozart intends to play his Requiem for Salieri. Listening to music, Salieri cries, but these are not tears of repentance, these are tears from the consciousness of duty performed. Mozart feels unwell and leaves the inn. Salieri, left alone, reflects on Mozart’s words about the incompatibility of genius and villainy; as an argument in his favor, he recalls the legend that Bonarotti sacrificed human life to art. But suddenly he is struck by the thought that this is just an invention of a “stupid, senseless crowd.”

The tragedy “Mozart and Salieri” is one of the chamber cycle of dramatic works by A.S. Pushkin, which the author himself called “Little Tragedies”. Written in 1830, they raised philosophical and moral problems that were important for the poet and his close circle: challenging fate, contrasting feelings of love with the sanctimonious morality of society in “The Stone Guest”; the destructive power of money in The Miserly Knight; the human and divine nature of the genius, his responsibility for his deeds and works in “Mozart and Salieri”; reluctance to humble oneself in the face of circumstances, protest against fatalism in life in “A Feast in the Time of Plague.”

"Mozart and Salieri"

The tragedy "Mozart and Salieri" summary which can be reduced to a short retelling - a philosophically deeply rich work. The author examines in it the most important questions for every truly talented artist, such as whether a genius can do evil and whether he will remain a genius after that. What should art bring to people? Can a genius in art allow himself to be an ordinary, imperfect person in Everyday life, and many others. Therefore, no matter how many times “Mozart and Salieri” is reread in the original, the summary of this dramatic work, for the thoughtful reader there will always be something to think about.

The tragedy is based on rumors that the composer poisoned the brilliant Mozart out of envy. Of course, there is no direct evidence of this crime. But this is not important to Pushkin. Taking so controversial detective story, the poet focuses his and our attention on something else: why does Salieri decide to interrupt the life of his brilliant friend? or something else? Is it possible to correlate a genius and a craftsman? From the first reading of Mozart and Salieri, the summary of the tragedy, of course, does not give an answer. You need to think about Pushkin!

So, Salieri. We meet him at the very beginning of the work. Already in years, caressed by fame, he recalls his first steps in music. In his youth, feeling talent in himself, he nevertheless does not dare to believe in himself, diligently studies the work of great musicians and imitates them, comprehends “harmony by algebra”, without creating music with inspiration, according to the flight of his soul and imagination, as he did would be a genius, but “taking it apart like a corpse” into its components, counting the notes and their variations in each chord and sound. And only after carefully studying the theory, the mechanisms of creating music, its rules, Salieri himself begins to compose, burning a lot, leaving something behind after picky criticism. Gradually he becomes known and recognized. But the composer “suffered” for his fame: writing for him is hard work. He himself understands that he is not a Master - an apprentice in the Great Art. But he has no envy of those who are more famous and talented, because the hero knows: his contemporaries achieved fame in the musical field also thanks to hard, painstaking work. In this they are equal.

Mozart, an “idle reveler,” is a different matter. He composes brilliant things easily, jokingly and as if laughing at the philosophy of creativity that Salieri nurtured and created for himself for so long. The young genius is alien to Salierian asceticism, the strictest self-discipline and the fear of deviating from the recognized canons in art. Mozart creates as he breathes: naturally, according to the nature of his talent. Perhaps this outrages Salieri most of all.

“Mozart and Salieri”, its brief content, boils down, in essence, to Salieri’s internal dispute with himself. The hero solves a dilemma: does art need Mozart? Is now the time to perceive and understand his music? Isn't he too brilliant for his era? No wonder Antonio compares Mozart with an angel, a bright cherub, who, having flown to earth, will serve as a reproach to people for their imperfections. Mozart, having set a certain aesthetic and ethical standard with his work, on the one hand, raises the art and souls of people to new heights, on the other hand, shows what current composers and their creations are worth. But are self-loving mediocrities or simply not very talented people ready to recognize someone as the palm? Unfortunately no! Pushkin himself found himself in a similar situation more than once, far ahead of his time. Therefore, even a brief summary of “Mozart and Salieri” helps to understand how the poet lived, what worried him during the period of creating the tragedy.

Mozart comes to Salieri. He wants to show his friend a new “little thing” that he recently composed, and at the same time “treat” him with a joke: passing by a tavern, Wolfgang heard a poor violinist playing his melody, mercilessly out of tune. This performance seemed funny to the genius, and he decided to amuse Salieri. However, he does not accept the joke and drives the performer away, scolding Mozart, reproaching that he does not value his talent and is generally unworthy of himself. Mozart performs a melody he recently composed. And Salieri is even more perplexed: how is it possible, having composed such a wonderful melody, to pay attention to the false passages of a home-grown violinist, to find them funny and not offensive. Does he really not value himself, his genius? And again the theme of the sublime nature of true art arises: Salieri compares his friend with God, who is not aware of his divinity. At the end of the scene, the friends agree to have lunch together, and Mozart leaves.

When reading the tragedy “Mozart and Salieri”, the analysis of the next scene comes down to how, with what arguments Salieri convinces himself of the need to end the life of his brilliant comrade. He believes that art will only benefit without Mozart, that composers will have the opportunity to write music based on their modest talents and without regard to their great contemporary. That is, by destroying Wolfgang, Salieri will provide an invaluable service to art. To do this, Antonio decides to use poison received as a gift from his former lover.

The last scene is in the tavern. Mozart tells a friend about some strange visitor, a black man who is pursuing him in Lately. Then we talk about Beaumarchais, the same as Mozart, genius man, a playwright with a bright, sparkling talent and complete freedom in creativity. There was a rumor that Beaumarchais poisoned someone, but Mozart does not believe it. According to him, villainy and genius cannot coexist in one person. A genius can only be the embodiment of Good and Light, Joy, and therefore cannot bring Evil into the world. He offers to drink to the three of them, brothers in the Light - Salieri, Beaumarchais and him, Mozart. Those. Wolfgang considers Antonio a like-minded person. And Salieri throws poison into his glass of wine, Mozart drinks, sincerely believing that next to him the heart is as sincere and big as his.

When Mozart plays the Requiem, not even knowing that, in fact, this is a funeral mass for himself, Salieri cries. But these are not tears of remorse and pain for a friend - these are joy from the fact that the duty has been fulfilled.

Mozart feels bad and leaves. And Salieri reflects: if Mozart is right, then he is not a genius, because he committed a crime. But the famous Michelangelo, as they say, also killed his sitter. However, the court of time recognized his genius. So he, Salieri, is still a genius? What if everything about Buanarotti is an invention of a stupid crowd, if the sculptor did not kill anyone? Then Salieri is not a genius?

The ending of the tragedy is open, behind it, as is often the case with Pushkin, is the “abyss of space,” and everyone must decide for themselves whose point of view, Salieri or Mozart, is accepted as the truth.

One of the works of Pushkin’s “Little Tragedies” “Mozart and Salieri” is known throughout the world. The first sketches of this play were made by the poet in 1826, when he was on his estate in Mikhailovskoye. But it was completely written only in 1830, and already on next year was published in one of the almanacs. Pushkin created his work using one of the versions of Mozart's death.

Researchers of Pushkin’s creativity claim that the first sketches of the “little tragedy” were made in Mikhailovsky. Although the idea of writing it was born much earlier.

Unfortunately, the manuscripts of the play have not survived, so it is difficult to judge how famous poet It was difficult to make progress on the work at Mikhailovsky. But in M. Pogodin’s diary an entry was made that Pushkin was working on new play.

By the way, it has been preserved list of works that Pushkin compiled for writing.

Thus, the list included not only famous work, but the following plays are also listed:

"Stingy";
"Romulus and Remus";
"Don Juan";
"Paul the First"
"The Demon in Love";
"Dimitri and Marina";
"Jesus";
"Berald of Savoy".

But upon returning to Moscow, Alexander Sergeevich told his friend Pletnev that he had brought with him several dramatic works. It is known that they all entered into a well-known cycle:

« Stingy Knight»;
"Mozart and Salieri";
"The Stone Guest";
"Feast in Time of Plague".

Researcher of Pushkin’s work M. Alekseev believes that the “disgraced poet” first wanted to publish all the works that were included in the “Little Tragedies” cycle anonymously, fearing criticism from F. Bulgarin. And also researchers, having found a cover with the title “Envy” among Pushkin’s manuscripts, suggested that this was one of the options that the poet was considering.

Artistic Features

Artistic features the plays are:

Shakespearean iambic pentameter. The play is written in white iambic pentameter, which is used in all Shakespeare's works. But in Pushkin it is more relaxed and already varied.
Strictness and harmony, as in French classicism.
Unity of syllable, time and action.

The idea of the play

To create his work, Alexander Pushkin used several sources. Researchers of his work believe that these may be the following sources:

Rumors about Salieri.
"The Cult of Mozart."
Music life artist Joseph Berglinger.
Dramatic Scenes by Barry Cornwall.
The Legend of Michelangelo: Genius and Villainy.

Unfortunately, there is no information about how the plan for his dramatic work came about. But among his papers were references to “certain German journals.”

It is known that in 1824 a rumor began to spread in Vienna that Antonio Salieri had confessed to the murder of the great composer. 30 years have passed since the crime, and the court conductor and famous composer himself was long time in a psychiatric hospital. This was published in many German newspapers and magazines. Some magazines with this rumor ended up in Pushkin’s possession. By the way, this version was already refuted then, in 1834.

In Russia at the beginning of the 19th century, the “Cult of Mozart” arose. One of the main servants of this cult was Ulybyshev, who was known as musical critic. He believed that there were no more geniuses except Mozart. Therefore, the mention of the genius foreign composer was popular in literature.

When Alexander Pushkin began his work on the play, many were already familiar with detailed biography the alleged killer of a genius. The most detailed and real biography this famous composer written by Ignaz von Mosel, who published it in 1827. The composer himself died in 1825, so articles about him written after his death also found their way into Russian literature. printed publications.

In 1826, an excerpt from a book was published in one of the Russian magazines, which just told about the remarkable and interesting life one of the artists. This interested readers so much that the book was soon translated into Russian and fully published. The letters of Joseph Berglinger himself became a source of inspiration for Pushkin. It is believed that the first monologue of Pushkin’s main character is very similar to them. Brief retelling"Mozart and Salieri" is presented in this article.

According to Dmitry Blagoy, “Dramatic Scenes” also became a significant impetus for Pushkin. English poet Berry Cornwall, which Alexander Sergeevich read in Boldin. Over time, Cornwall became the favorite writer of the “disgraced poet.”

It is known that Pushkin originally intended to call his cycle “Little Tragedies” “Dramatic Scenes.” He mentions this several times in letters to his friends. In design, Pushkin's dramas are very similar to those works that Cornwall wrote. There are also textual coincidences between the plays of the English poet and Pushkin.

Pushkin, of course, was familiar with the legend of Michelangelo. He also mentions him in his “little tragedy”, where in Salieri’s last monologue, trying to justify his action, remembers the genius who committed a crime in the name of art.

Characters

There are few characters in Alexander Pushkin’s “little tragedy”:

Mozart.
Salieri.
Old man with a violin.

Literary critics have noted that in Pushkin's play the characters were very different from the original V. It is known that the “disgraced” poet did not need to create the image of Mozart, since he already existed in romantic literature that time. So, Alexander Sergeevich and in his literary essay embodied the main features characteristic of this image:

Bright genius.
Serene.
Cloudless.
Indifferent to the bustle of the world, to position in society and success.
Gifted and without the pangs of creativity.
Unaware of his greatness.

Of course it was romantic image famous composer, and the original was completely different. But even less like historical prototype Salieri, created by Alexander Pushkin. Thus, in the plot of Pushkin’s work, the reader is presented with the image of a musician walking a difficult road to recognition. Hard work and giving up everything in this life, according to Alexander Sergeevich, helps him achieve his goals. In reality, Salieri quickly and easily gained success in many countries. Historical data shows that genius composer studied with Salieri, although their musical paths were completely different.

The action takes place in a room. Salieri's first monologue, which discusses whether truth exists on earth. And it has long been clear to him that there is no truth anywhere. The hero says that he was already born loving art. And even church music evoked involuntary and sweet dreams in him. He says about himself that he was never interested in children's games and other sciences that were not related to music. Music alone occupied his heart.

But also his first musical steps were not easy for him. He began to study music, and only then was he able to create. But then he was not yet thinking about fame. And his musical creations were born in silence. Sometimes the hero did not eat or sleep for several days and nights. And then he burned his work and with an indifferent gaze watched the fire, which erased his torment from the earth.

And so one day fame and success smiled on Salieri. And, seeing how his music resonated in the hearts of people, the composer was happy. What brought him joy was not only his own success, work and fame, but also the success of his friends and colleagues. The musician never thought about envy, but he was proud. And now he calls himself “envious.”

At this moment, Mozart enters the room and a conversation arises between them. He is cheerful and joyful, he wanted to joke a little with his friend. He tells Salieri that, while walking towards him, he suddenly heard a blind violinist playing in a tavern. He decided to bring this violinist with him. Soon a blind musician enters the room and wants to play Mozart's music for them. A blind old man plays with mistakes, not knowing that in front of him is a great composer himself.

The music of a blind musician only makes Mozart laugh, but Salieri gets angry and drives the old man away. Great composer, seeing Salieri’s anger, wants to leave. But he is interested in what his good-natured friend brought him. The genius tells his friend that he couldn’t sleep at night, and so he wrote three new melodies that he wanted to play for Salieri to hear his opinion.

Mozart sits at the piano, and Salieri sits in the chair. Hearing the melody Salieri is in awe and calls Mozart “god”. And “God” simply says that he is hungry and then Salieri offers to have lunch together at the “Golden Lion Tavern.” Here Mozart, having agreed to dinner, goes home to warn his wife that he will not have dinner at home today.

Salieri, left alone with his thoughts, pronounces a monologue that he must stop the great musician Mozart. For this fate, he believes, Fate itself chose him. And if he doesn’t do this, then all the musicians will die, since they will never know what success and fame are.

Salieri believes that Mozart will no longer be able to bring anything to music, that he will not be able to elevate art. And there is no great benefit in the current glory, since after his death there will be no heir, and no one will be able to write like that anymore. Therefore, the sooner he dies, the better for music and other musicians.

Salieri takes out the poison given to him many years ago by Izora. Once he wanted to poison his enemy with it, then he thought of dying himself, and although he is not a coward, he was unable to fulfill his plan. But now he had this poison.

Mozart and Salieri are sitting in a tavern. Mozart is upset about something and is thoughtful. This is also noticed by Salieri, who is trying to find out the reason for his friend’s sadness. He admits to his friend that he has been composing “Requiem” for three weeks. This the statement causes Salieri not only surprise, but also envy. And Mozart tells him about how he began to compose the Requiem.

It all started three weeks ago when Mozart returned home late. He was told that someone had come for him, but no one knew who it was. Mozart thought about the stranger all night, but he still doesn’t know who it is. This stranger came the next day, but again he did not find the great composer at home. He came in on the third day, finding Mozart playing on the floor with his son. The stranger was dressed all in black. He bowed politely and ordered Mozart to write the Requiem.

From that very moment the composer began to write, but this black man never came to him again. “Requiem” is already ready, but Mozart is sorry to part with it. But from then on, Mozart began to feel as if this black man was following him everywhere. And now Mozart felt his presence at this table in the tavern.

But Salieri hastened to reassure his friend, remembering the words of Beaumarchais. Mozart immediately inquired about how true the rumors were that Beaumarchais had poisoned someone. But he himself said that this is not true, because Beaumarchais is a genius, and “genius and villainy” are incompatible.

But Salieri did not think so and, while talking with Mozart, managed to throw poison into his glass. And then he offered his friend a drink. Mozart goes to the piano to play his “Requiem” for Salieri. Mozart is surprised that his friend suddenly began to cry.

When asked why Salieri is crying, he replies that it is both pleasant and painful for him. But he fulfilled his heavy duty. He asks Mozart to play, but he, citing that he wants to sleep and doesn’t feel well, leaves. Salieri, left alone, thinks about Mozart’s phrase that genius and villainy are incompatible things. But then Salieri is not a genius? Salieri recalls the stories of the killers in order to somehow justify his act.

Analysis of a “little tragedy”

In his work “Mozart and Salieri,” Alexander Pushkin portrays the heroes unevenly. So, Mozart is minor character which is necessary for revealing and understanding the image of Salieri. The two characters in the play are opposites, although they belong to the same world of art. But they even perceive music differently. Salieri dreams of writing music in order to become famous. He is lonely and far from society. Because he is withdrawn, anger gradually matures in him. Salieri believes that Mozart is not worthy of having a gift, and therefore he will have to correct this mistake.

Pushkin's Mozart looks completely different, whose work is hard, and fate constantly tests him. But this does not stop him from composing music that comes from the heart. He doesn't think about fame at all. He is not even afraid of the death he anticipates. For him, music is, first of all, harmony, happiness and tranquility. Salieri kills a genius and, losing all his awards as a composer, he turns into a villain and a murderer.

The tragedy "Mozart and Salieri" consists of only two scenes. Characters, besides the appearance of a blind musician, there are also two - two composers. One is an elderly musician - Salieri. He achieved his heights in art through hard and long work, studying music as a science. The second is young, flighty, but incredibly talented - Mozart.

The action of this play begins with a monologue by Salieri. He recalls how, as a child, having heard the sound of a church organ, he fell in love with this art and decided to devote his life to it. He remembers how he worked, studying it, achieving his heights. The hero argues that now, having achieved greatness and glory and, enjoying their fruits, he envies his young friend Mozart. Salieri is overcome with envy precisely because his frivolous friend, as he believes, is really very talented. He does not study music, but creates it, it flows from him. He is one of the few in whom there is some kind of divine spark that allows him to create something unique.

Then Mozart himself appears. He also brings a blind violinist with him in order to amuse his friend. He says that he met him on the street when he was playing an aria from Don Juan and asks him to repeat it. The blind man plays out of tune. This makes Mozart laugh, but it makes Salieri angry. He wonders how you can laugh when some mediocrity distorts a work. Calls Mozart a god. The violinist is driven away.

Mozart wanted to show Salieri his new work. With this he went to him. But, seeing his friend in a bad and angry mood, he decides that he has no time for him now. Salieri dissuades him of this and the friends agree to have lunch at a tavern. Mozart decides to go home and warn his wife.

After his departure, Salieri decides to carry out the sentence he himself had passed. He decides to poison his friend, using the poison left for him by his beloved, who was no longer alive. The musician tries to justify his actions, convinces himself that he is right. As an argument, he argues that Mozart will only ruin art with his talent. He is frivolous, will not leave an heir to his talent, and after his departure art will collapse again. This is what an elderly musician thinks.

The second scene of this work takes place in the tavern. There Mozart plays his “Requiem” for a friend and tells him strange story. He talks about how a man in black, with very delicate manners in communication, ordered this very “Requiem” from him and left. Since then he hasn't come again. But the strange thing was that the young musician felt his presence and he felt uneasy about it. It even seemed to the young man that it was as if this moment he was present with them.

There is a conversation about Beaumarchais, who allegedly killed someone. As a result, Mozart comes to the conclusion that genius and villainy are incompatible. At this time, poison was already poured into his glass by his insidious interlocutor. After drinking and performing the “requiem,” Mozart declares that he does not feel well and leaves. The poisoner, left alone with himself, begins to doubt the correctness of his decision. But what torments him more is the question: is he himself a genius? He remembered Mozart's words that genius and villainy are incompatible.

This work shows the difference between people who think and live differently. It shows how the “fake” talent is jealous of the “real” talent and cannot accept it, is “afraid” of it and ultimately eliminates it. Envy cannot lead to anything good; satisfying it did not make things easier for the hero.

Read a summary of Pushkin's Mozart and Salieri

Salieri is a composer, he often complains about his life, recalling that he was born with a love of art and enjoyed playing the organ. After which I began to study and practice diligently. After for long years Despite his efforts, they finally noticed him and recognized his talent. After which he only enjoyed his glory, but without envying others, but only rejoiced at the successes of his comrades. But still, a feeling of envy of Mozart and his playing arises in his soul.

On the way to Salieri, Mozart sees a blind man playing the violin and immediately notices that his playing is not very good - he ridicules this in front of Salieri. But for a friend this is not funny, but on the contrary, unacceptable. Therefore, Salieri drives the old man away by giving him money. Mozart wants to leave, seeing that his comrade is not in the mood, but Salieri insists that he stay and show what he came with. Mozart plays his work written at night and recounts the feelings and sensations while writing. Salieri is amazed and discouraged by Mozart's work.

After his comrade leaves, Salieri plans to stop him. It seems to him that Mozart poses a great threat to all art. He takes out the poison, which he has kept for about eighteen years.

The next day, Salieri comes to Mozart and finds him writing the requiem he ordered. stranger dressed in black, he is worried about this man, but Salieri tries to calm his friend down.

Then Salieri tells the story of his friend Bormash, who poisoned a man. While talking about this, Salieri pours poison into Mozart's glass, and both drink to harmony and art. Before the poison takes effect, Salieri manages to play his requiem, at which time Salieri cries, but not from admiration, but from the understanding that he has fulfilled his duty. After which Mozart becomes ill and leaves the room, where Salieri is left alone with his thoughts.

The story teaches that one should not envy others, this can lead to crime and renunciation of oneself. The story also shows that fame plays a role in art minor role, you need to love art and create for the sake of people, as Mozart did, and not so that fame is in your pocket. Salieri - prototype envious person, who thirsts for glory, he is confident that he is on the right path and is ready to eliminate anyone who dares to interfere with him. He does not want to recognize art as a creation of something beautiful, but perceives it only as a means of earning money and recognition of his person.

Picture or drawing of Mozart and Salieri

The essence of the conflict

The basis of the play's conflict is internal conflict Salieri, which can be reduced to understanding the essence of creativity in general. For him, music is work, craft and constant self-improvement. In other words, overcoming. For Mozart, composing music is inspiration and joy. He creates easily and freely.

Thus, in the summary of “Mozart and Salieri” by Pushkin, we note that main question plays to which there is no answer and over which Salieri is tormented: why are some unconditionally endowed with genius, while others are forced to prove their place among their fellow workers through tireless hard work?

He believes that the sky is unfair, illuminating the “madman’s head” and the “idle reveler.” After all, Mozart is unworthy of his great gift, he wastes his life without working, so he must die. Salieri sees his task as killing Mozart. This is a great task, he thinks.

And if a dramatic resolution of the conflict in Pushkin (Salieri kills Mozart in the finale of the play) does occur, it cannot lead to an answer to the main question - and essentially the ending remains open.

In presenting the summary of Pushkin’s “Mozart and Salieri,” we talked about the main conflict of the play.

About the characters of the play

Prototypes of characters in the play - real personalities, but bringing them together, especially with such an ending, most likely occurs only thanks to the will of the author.

In the summary of Pushkin’s “Mozart and Salieri,” it is necessary to clarify that Antonio Salieri in his time ( late XVIII - early XIX century) was considered a famous and recognized musician. This Italian composer, follower of Gluck, author of many vocal and vocal-musical works, court conductor. He was a teacher, instilling the basics of mastery in such famous composers as Schubert, Liszt, Beethoven.

But, one might say, fate played with him cruel joke- and with light hand Pushkin, he remained in history as the “killer of Mozart”. This “stigma” stuck to him so much that much later, in Milan, in 1997, there was even a trial that completely acquitted the musician and confirmed his innocence in the death of Mozart.

In addition to Mozart, there is a third character in the play, whose presence can be called symbolic, “offscreen”. This is a man dressed in black, or, as Mozart calls him, “my black man” - a stranger who came to order a requiem for him, and did not show up for the order. He became a kind of messenger of death, a messenger of otherworldly forces - as if Mozart wrote the Requiem for himself. This gloomy image is very common in world literature: Pushkin picked it up from Goethe (“Faust”), and later Leonid Andreev and Sergei Yesenin borrowed it for their works.

Scene one

In the summary of Pushkin’s play “Mozart and Salieri”, we note that at the beginning of the first scene, Salieri sits in his room and reflects on the hardships of his own life, filled with study, work and well-deserved fame, and how great his envy of Mozart is. Mozart himself comes to visit him and brings a street musician, a blind old man, a “violinist,” whom he had just met in a tavern. He played Cherubino’s aria from Mozart’s opera “The Marriage of Figaro” on the violin and played so badly that the author became amused.

When the old man begins to play again, Mozart laughs, and Salieri becomes indignant and drives the violinist away.

Then Mozart plays the “trifle” on the piano, which he composed during the previous sleepless night. His listener is already in admiration and says that Mozart is “god” and he is “unworthy of himself.” Mozart treats these manifestations of delight with obvious irony; he jokingly replies that “my god is hungry,” and Salieri immediately invites him to dine at the tavern.

Mozart leaves to warn his wife, and the one who remains explains his task to himself and the audience: “I have been chosen to stop him,” otherwise we will die. Kill divine Mozart, according to Salieri, it is also necessary so that “wingless children of dust” like him can create. And he is preparing poison.

This concludes the brief summary of the first scene of Pushkin’s tragedy “Mozart and Salieri”.

Scene two

Mozart tells how the “black man” came to him, how he ordered the Requiem and never appeared again. The interlocutor tries to encourage him, saying that to have fun, on the advice of Beaumarchais, it is necessary to re-read “The Marriage of Figaro” and drink a glass of champagne. “Is it true,” Mozart asks, “that someone was poisoned by Beaumarchais?” Salieri denies this, and Mozart adds that, of course, “he was a genius, like you and me,” and it is known that “genius and villainy are two incompatible things.”

Salieri pours poison into the interlocutor's cup, and he drinks the wine. Then Mozart, sitting down at the piano, plays his new composition - Requiem. His listener is touched: he feels “both painful and pleased,” as if he had done hard but necessary work.

Mozart feels unwell and goes home. And Salieri is left to reflect on the question tormenting him. He recalls the legend “about Bonarotti” (in the summary of Pushkin’s tragedy “Mozart and Salieri” it is necessary to note what is meant here famous story, in which the great Italian painter and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti poisoned the sitter in order to more accurately convey the agony of the dying Christ).

Can an artist who has committed a crime in the name of art be a genius? Or is this story a lie, a tale of the crowd?

With this question from the musician to himself (or the viewer), the play is over.

We have given a brief summary of Pushkin's play "Mozart and Salieri".