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From: jcg@cbosgd.UUCP (Jim Grams)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: More on Shaffer vs. Pushkin
Message-ID: <411@cbosgd.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 9-Oct-84 17:07:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.411
Posted: Tue Oct  9 17:07:13 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Oct-84 05:50:26 EDT
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Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
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When the parallel between Shaffer's "Amadeus" and A. Pushkin's
"Mozart and Salieri" was pointed out a few weeks ago in an article
here, I mentioned it to my wife. She is an avid reader of Pushkin,
and as a student of Russian Literature might have had something interesting
to say on the subject.  She had not actually read "Mozart and Salieri"
but agreed to look into it.

Whether English translations exist or not, we were unable to determine.
Certainly Ohio State University's massive library had no record of it.
She did find a Russian version, though, and read that.

Now I certainly wouldn't want to accuse Mr. Shaffer of plagiarism, but
from her description of it, I would have to conclude that there are
disturbing similarities between Shaffer's play and Pushkin's.  

The plot is essentially identical, Salieri jealous of the ease by which
Mozart creates music, conspires to ruin him and eventually cause his death.
Shaffer's play updates Mozart's character a little, making him slightly
more childish and snivelling, but Pushkin also used the idea of
making Salieri more sympathetic by degrading Mozart.  The denouement
especially smacks of "coincidental" similarity, with Pushkin having Salieri
appear before the broken Mozart as a dark menacing shadow, which leads to 
Mozart's demise.  Sound familiar?

Unfortunately for Pushkin, there is little to be done.  This similarity
apparently completely escaped critics' notice and since the play is a
smash and the movie is big box office, Mr. Shaffer is immune to whatever
outrage we who care about such things feel.  Seems a shame to let him
get away with it, though.

I guess the ugly moral is, if you find a obscure story that's good,
don't publicize it, steal it!

Jim Grams
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