Come and Rock Me Amadeus
Currently, Elke is working again at a children’s summer camp on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Every week has its own immersive topic, and last week was about Mozart. That gave us the idea to watch again the 1984 movie “Amadeus” about the life and work of the Austrian genius virtuoso and composer. The film is a Hollywood classic and gathered eight Oscars at the 1985 Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor.
“Amadeus” has aged well over the past four decades. These days, it probably would have been garnished with sweeping, computer-generated views of 18th-century Vienna, but that would not have changed much about the story that keeps you on the edge of the seat over two hours and 40 minutes. And that is not easy in a movie that needs to cover many events over a long time following historical facts (albeit loosely).
Seeing “Amadeus” in the theater was a must in 1984. Even I, who cared little about Mozart and classical music, went to the cinema. It was a global event about culture, art, and history in the light of somebody who undoubtedly had a huge influence on music. The hype increased with Falco’s massive worldwide 1985 hit “Rock Me Amadeus,” which doubled down on the movie’s juxtaposition of 18th-century classical music and modern pop stardom.
In the last 40 years, the world has moved on from a place where one movie and one song can grab everybody’s attention. Today, even the buzz around the arguably biggest star in the world, Taylor Swift, seems like a faint whisper because you can easily focus your attention on other artists. Do we need to mention that you receive new music here on glamglare every day that is neither made by her nor by any of the other top 40 stars?
One thing that has not changed since Mozart’s time is how difficult it is to make money with art. The movie shows Mozart constantly struggling with money because of the fickle tastes of the audience and the expected lifestyle of a superstar. The film depicts his wife Constanze as some sort of manager who reminds him that his work deserves payment and is not happy about a door split without guarantee he received for the Magic Flute premiere. She deserves a biopic of her own: after six pregnancies, she lived on until the age of 80 and published a Mozart biography.
The proper compensation of artists continues to be an open topic. Today, much of the money in music is distributed by digital streaming services, and pretty much everybody is unhappy about how the current system works. Will Page, a former Spotify chief economist, has the idea that streams should be devalued if you fast forward them. That makes sense in some way: why should an arbitrary 30s limit decide if the payout is all or nothing? On the other hand, at glamglare, we fast forward quite often, not because we don’t like a track, but because we are eager to hear the next one. But I like the idea of giving the listeners better control over where their money goes.
ICYMI: Song Pick of the Day
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Oliver’s Notes
This week’s five new songs come from Nordic female electronic music producers. All five push boundaries, often beyond comfort zones. Listen to music from gugusar (Iceland), Mörmaid (Norway), Sea Change (Norway), Sunna Margrét (Iceland), and Jenny Bakke (Norway).
Nine Photos of a New York Harbor Cruise on the Schooner Pioneer
See some impressions of two beautiful hours on the historic schooner Pioneer of the South Street Seaport Museum. You can do this, too: Book here, and don’t forget to bring a picnic!
