Mozart, l'opéra rock

Productions

The musical premiered on 22 September 2009 at the Palais des Sports de Paris, where it continued until 3 January 2010. From 4 February 2010 until 3 July 2010, it went on tour in France, Belgium, and Switzerland. It returned to Paris between 9 November 2010 and 9 January 2011. A second tour began on 4 February 2011, and the production closed on 10 July 2011 at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy. It was directed by Olivier Dahan, choreographed by Dan Stewart and produced by Attia and Albert Cohen.

In 2013, Japanese production featured Akinori Nakagawa and Koji Yamamoto alternating the roles of Mozart and Salieri.

In 2019, Japan's all-female theater troupe Takarazuka Revue Star Troupe's staged the musical. It featured Makoto Rei as Mozart, Hitomi Maisora as Constanze and Ruumi Nagina as Salieri. Production ran in both Osaka and Tokyo, and released a CD and Bluray.

Synopsis

Act I

The show opens with the accession of Hieronymus von Colloredo-Mannsfeld to the archbishop of Salzburg. Unlike the previous ruler, Colloredo is discouraging of the arts, which does not bode well for the Mozart family, who work for him. When Leopold Mozart requests leave to tour with his seventeen-year-old son and musical prodigy, Wolfgang, Colloredo refuses and suggests Leopold and Wolfgang quit if they are dissatisfied. Leopold and his daughter, Wolfgang's older sister, Nannerl, bemoan the state of Salzburg and its subservient people (Penser l'Impossible). Wolfgang appears, tumbling out from under the skirts of several women he's been chasing, and proceeds to be told exactly what Colloredo told Leopold: His leave has been denied.

Wolfgang insists that he'll leave Salzburg alone if he has to, as Leopold must stay behind because they cannot afford to be without work. Instead, Leopold sends Wolfgang's mother, Anna Maria, with him, as well as a warning: to find work fast, because a musician without a patron is no one. Anna Maria and Wolfgang set out for Mannheim, unaware that Colloredo has already sent word ahead to the Prince to assure that Wolfgang will not find work with him.

The show moves ahead to an inn in Mannheim (La chanson de l'aubergiste), where Wolfgang enters with several finished commissions. After sharing his dream of writing a grand opera in German, he is ridiculed by several of the people in the bar who remind him that all operas are written in Italian. Wolfgang rejects their comments (Le Trublion) and a fight breaks out, during which both he and his mother flee before being arrested by the police. A local copyist meets them, already aware of Wolfgang's musical prestige, and offers to copy all of his compositions free and help him distribute them for a small condition – coming to visit his family.

The copyist is Fridolin Weber – Cecilia's husband – and they intend to have Wolfgang help them prepare their daughter, Aloysia, for a ball for the Princess of Orange to boost her fame. Anna Maria and Wolfgang visit the Webers at their home, where Wolfgang is introduced to Sophie, Josepha, and Constanze. Upon the appearance of Aloysia (Bim Bam Boum), Wolfgang falls head over heels and forgoes his other commissions to help her prepare for her showcase to the Princess. He and the other members of the Weber family are unaware that Constanze has already started to fall in love with the young composer (Ah! Vous dirais-je maman).

Act II

Wolfgang has returned to Salzburg under the service of Colloredo and is preparing to leave for Vienna with the archbishop to pay homage to the newly crowned Joseph II. He tells his father that he plans to make a new life for himself in Vienna, which his father scoffs at, reminding him that his previous carelessness resulted in the death of his mother. He instructs Wolfgang to do as the archbishop tells him and return to Salzburg when he's done, but Wolfgang insists that he'll do what he has to as it's his life, and his music.

After leaving the company of his father, he is confronted by Colloredo, who reiterates his father's message of doing as he's told. When Wolfgang attempts to reason with him, Colloredo will hear nothing of it and tells him to go join the other servants – who proceed to mock him alongside a clown-like representation of his own doubt (Comédie-tragédie). The badgering mounts to a crescendo and he informs Colloredo that he quits and he is free to do as he pleases from now on. He proceeds to pass out his music throughout all of Vienna, where it is well received, and he finally begins to make a name for himself (Place je passe).

The scene moves to Antonio Salieri, walking with Rosenberg, the Steward to Emperor Joseph II, and Gottlieb Stephanie, a librettist who has recently finished his piece The Abduction from the Seraglio. Rosenberg tells Salieri of the newcomer, Wolfgang, and his aspirations of composing a German opera, which Rosenberg then proceeds to mock for its lack of eloquence. Upon the appearance of the Emperor, Rosenberg attempts to discourage him from choosing Wolfgang as the composer for his commission on the basis of his desire to use German instead of the more traditional Italian.

Rosenberg explains that Wolfgang insists on writing in nothing other than German, though the idea of an opera in Vienna's native language appeals to the Emperor. He asks for the opinion of Salieri, already a well-known composer of the court, who appears to agree with the idea that Wolfgang is foolish, but also concedes that he is infinitely talented. In the end, Joseph decides that Mozart will do the music for their opera, much to the glee of Stephanie and the disdain of Rosenberg.

At the height of his dispute with Colloredo, Wolfgang takes up board with the Webers, who have moved to Vienna after the death of Fridolin and are taking in boarders to make ends meet. It is here he is re-introduced to Constanze, who has apparently decided to give up on love as she puts far too much into her relationships and is left heartbroken when they do not work out (Si je défaille). While Josepha and Sophie are excited to see him again, Cecilia is less than pleased with how he left Aloysia. Though she happily tells him that Aloysia's now married, doing well, and expecting a child. She also tells him that she doesn't want Wolfgang getting any ideas about her other daughters (or her, for that matter). After she leaves, Josepha and Sophie bombard him with questions about his newfound success in Vienna until Constanze intervenes and leads him to his room to get some rest.

Musical numbers

Act I

Ouverture (Orchestra)

Penser l'impossible (Leopold and Nannerl)

La chanson de l'aubergiste (The Innkeeper)

Le Trublion (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

Bim bam boum (Aloysia)

Ah! Vous dirais-je maman (Constanze)

Six pieds sous terre (Constanze and Aloysia)

J'accuse mon père (Leopold)

Tatoue-moi (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

La procession (Orchestra)

La mascarade (Orchestra)

Je dors sur des roses (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

Act II

Comédie-tragédie (The Clown)

Place je passe (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

Si je défaille (Constanze)

Le bien qui fait mal (Antonio Salieri)

Les solos sous les draps (Constanze, Nannerl and Leopold)

L'assasymphonie (Antonio Salieri)

Vive les noces de Figaro (Constanze and Aloysia)

Dors mon ange (Nannerl)

Victime de ma victoire (Antonio Salieri)

Vivre à en crever (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri)

C'est bientôt la fin (Company)

Songs not included in the musical

Debout les fous (Company)

Je danse avec les dieux (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

Quand le rideau tombe (Leopold)

Bonheur de malheur (Constanze and Aloysia)

Le carnivore (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

L'opérap (Company)

Original cast

Mikelangelo Loconte: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Diane Dassigny, preceded by Claire Pérot: Constanze, wife of Mozart

Melissa Mars: Aloysia Weber, Mozart's first love; sister to Constanze

Florent Mothe: Antonio Salieri, Mozart's rival at Vienna

Maeva Méline: Nannerl, sister to Mozart

Solal: Leopold, father of Mozart

Yamin Dib: Count Rosenberg, intendant to Joseph II

Merwan Rim: Innkeeper and Clown

Ariane Pirie preceded by Delphine Grandsart: Cäcilia Weber, mother of Aloysia and Constance

Jocelyne Sand: Anna Maria Mozart, mother of Mozart

Mathias Jung: Colloredo, Prince-archbishop of Salzburg, Tutor of Constanze, and the Stranger

Patrice Maktav: Lorenzo da Ponte

Jean-Michel Meunier: Fridolin, father of Aloysia and Constanze, and Joseph II

Marjolaine Piémont: Josepha Weber, sister to Aloysia and Constanze

Estelle Micheau: The diva (La Cavalieri)

Laurie Peret: Sophie Weber, sister to Aloysia and Constanze

Nuno Resende: Gottlieb Stephanie

Discography

The first CD single featured the songs "Tatoue-moi" and "Quand le rideau tombe", and was released in 2008. This single was number one in sales for five weeks, and remained in the top 5 for eleven weeks. Other singles followed in 2009: Vivre à en crever, L'assasymphonie and Le bien qui fait mal. Two more singles were released in 2010: J'accuse mon père and C'est bientôt la fin.

The first cast album consisted of 12 tracks and was released in April 2009. The complete recording, comprising 27 tracks, was released in September 2009.

Six music videos were made to accompany the show: Tatoue-Moi, Vivre à En Crever, L'Assasymphonie, Le Bien Qui Fait Mal, J'accuse mon père and C'est bientôt la fin.

The 2013 Japan production released two CDs, featuring the two casts in which Akinori Nakagawa and Koji Yamamoto alternated the roles of Mozart and Salieri.

Film

In November 2010, a DVD recording of the show was released. The show was also recorded in 3D and released theatrically in 2011.

Takarazuka Revue released a bluray of the Star Troupe's 2019 production.

Critical reception

The show has received mixed responses from critics, despite a large fan following and great popularity within Europe.

Le Figaro praised the lighting and certain "innovations" in the staging, but also noted "the mediocre sound, an inconsistent libretto and uneven casting," stating that Mikelangelo Loconte's performance at Mozart was at once over-the top and "disembodied." Le Point also praised the lighting but deplored the "insipid melodies" and a "mediocrity" which the actors were unable to overcome. France Soir described the show as "lacking genius and impertinence," weighed down by "a disjointed first act," "simpering" female characters and a "fidgety" Mozart. 'L'Express noted the "stylized scenes" and "hurried narrative." The magazine Têtu referred to the musical as "glittering, sugared like a meringue," extremely amusing but lacking noteworthy vocal skill.

On the other hand, the magazine Première stated that the show was a success. Thierry Quinson of regardencoulisse.com, despite qualifications regarding the sound and the weak narrative of the second act, asserted that the project marked "a veritable evolution in the grand musicals of the last few years: the songs are better written, less formulaic and syrupy, a better-constructed narrative leaving more room for acting and choreography which is less invasive and systematic."

Awards and nominations

NRJ Music Awards 2010 :

Group / duo / French cast of the year

French discovery of the year for Florent Mothe

French song of the year for L'assasymphonie