The mixing and pushing against the boundaries of established operatic genres would be a continuing hallmark of Salieri's own personal style, and in his choice of material for the plot ( as in his first opera ), he manifested a lifelong interest in subjects drawn from classic drama and literature.

Salieri's first great success was in the realm of serious opera.

Armida was translated into German and widely performed, especially in the northern German states, where it helped to establish Salieri's reputation as an important and innovative modern composer It would also be the first opera to receive a serious preparation in a piano and vocal reduction by Carl Friedrich Cramer in 1783.

Armida was soon followed by Salieri's first truly popular success ; a commedia per musica in the style of Carlo Goldoni La fiera di Venezia ( The Fair of Venice ).

Salieri's first French opera contained scenes of great solemnity and festivity ; yet overshadowing it all was darkness and revenge.

As the political situation threatened and eventually overwhelmed Austria, which was repeatedly crushed by French political forces, Salieri's first and most important biographer Mosel described the emotional effect that this political, social, and cultural upheaval had on the composer.

It is often said to be the first independent set of variations for orchestra in the history of music, although there is at least one earlier piece in the same form, Antonio Salieri's Twenty-six Variations on ' La folia di Spagna written in 1815.

The modest success of this opera would launch Salieri's 34 year operatic career as a composer of over 35 original dramas.

Salieri's Italian tour of 1778 – 80 began with the production of Europa riconosciuta ( Europa Recognized ) for La Scala ( which was revived in 2004 for the same opera house's re-opening following extensive renovations ).

Salieri's Chimney Sweep and Mozart's work for the same company in 1782, Die Entführung aus dem Serail ( The Abduction from the Seraglio ) would be the only two major successes to emerge from the German singspiel experiment, and only Mozart's opera would survive on the stage beyond the close of the 18th century.

In 1783 the Italian opera company was revived with singers partly chosen and vetted by Salieri during his Italian tour, the new season would open with a slightly re-worked version of Salieri's recent success La scuola de ' gelosi.

As Salieri's political position became very insecure he was retired as director of the Italian opera in 1792.

In his last surviving letter from 14 October 1791, Mozart tells his wife that he collected Salieri and Caterina Cavalieri in his carriage and drove them both to the opera ; about Salieri's attendance at his opera The Magic Flute, speaking enthusiastically: " He heard and saw with all his attention, and from the overture to the last choir there was not a piece that didn't elicit a ' Bravo!

* Salieri's supposed hatred for Mozart is also alluded to in a spoof opera entitled A Little Nightmare Music, by P. D. Q.

* Falstaff ( 1799 ), Antonio Salieri's opera, with a libretto by Carlo Prospero Defranceschi, which is also based upon The Merry Wives of Windsor.

The opera house re-opened on 7 December 2004 with a production, conducted by Riccardo Muti, of Salieri's Europa riconosciuta, the opera that was performed at La Scala's inauguration in 1778.

The question of which is more important in opera — the music or the words — has been debated over time, and forms the basis of at least two operas, Richard Strauss's Capriccio, and Antonio Salieri's Prima la musica, poi le parole.

The opera was announced as a collaboration between the two composers ; however, after the overwhelming success of its premiere on 26 April 1784, Gluck revealed to the prestigious Journal de Paris that the work was wholly Salieri's.

After hearing the march only once, Mozart plays it from memory, critiques it, and effortlessly improvises a variation, transforming Salieri's " trifle " into the " Non più andrai " march from his 1786 opera The Marriage of Figaro.

Salieri's music slowly disappeared from the repertoire between 1800 and 1868, and was rarely heard after that period until the revival of his fame in the late 20th century.

Commissioned for an unknown occasion Salieri's Armida was based on Torquato Tasso's epic poem La Gerusalemme liberata ( Jerusalem Delivered ) and premiered on 2 June 1771.

Ironically, Salieri's music was much more in the tradition of Gluck and Gassmann than of the Italians like Paisiello or Cimarosa.

In addition, when Lorenzo Da Ponte was in Prague preparing the production of Mozart's setting of his Don Giovanni, the poet was ordered back to Vienna for a royal wedding for which Salieri's Axur, re d ' Ormus would be performed.

The premiere performance was Antonio Salieri's Europa riconosciuta.

They began 1791 at Drury Lane with Stephen Storace's The Siege of Belgrade ( incorporating a Martini scena ), and his version of Salieri's Cave of Trofonio ( Prince Hoare text ) was given.

Salieri's struggles with God are intercut with scenes showing Mozart's own trials and tribulations with life in Vienna: pride at the initial reception of his music ; anger and disbelief over his subsequent treatment by the Italians of the Emperor's court ; happiness with his wife Constanze and his son Karl ; and grief at the death of his father Leopold.

In 1786 three operas were being rehearsed, one by Righini, one Salieri's La grotta di Trofonio ( to a text by Casti ), and one Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.

One turning point occurs when he gets a request from Salieri's bartender Luigi, who likes Tommy and asks him to walk his daughter Sarah home from work on account of reports of hoodlums.

Morello's brother, Sergio Morello, is also killed on Salieri's orders.

The three then steal what is ostensibly a batch of Cuban cigars on Salieri's orders, but Tommy and Paulie discover that the cigar boxes contain a considerable amount of well-hidden diamonds.

Salieri's tale goes on through the night and into the next day.

Finnish metal band Children of Bodom uses Salieri's quote, " From now on we are

Corneille's Horace has provided the basis for the libretti of two operas, Antonio Salieri's 1786 Les Horaces, and Domenico Cimarosa's 1797 Gli Orazi e i Curiazi.

As a result Salieri continued to live with Gassmann even after Gassmann's marriage, an arrangement that lasted until the year of Gassmann's death and Salieri's own marriage in 1774.

In 2003, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli released The Salieri Album, a CD with 13 arias from Salieri's operas, most of which had never been recorded before.

After a not-so-casual encounter with two of Don Ennio Salieri's henchmen, Sam and Paulie ( who escaped from Morello's men and while trying to get away, had a car accident ), Tommy is paid with an envelope concealing a hunk of cash for getting Sam and Paulie to safety.

Salieri's education included instruction in Latin and Italian poetry by Fr.

Salieri's instrumental works have been judged by various critics and scholars to lack the inspiration and innovation found in his writing for the stage.

Axur and his other new compositions completed by 1792 would mark the height of Salieri's popularity and his influence.

However, in between scouting for fares he is attacked by two hoods who are members of Salieri's arch-enemy ( later revealed to once have been his companion ), the Morello crime family, as revenge for him helping Paulie and Sam escape them.

Tommy is saved by Salieri's men, who, when Tommy escapes into their bar and the Morello men follow him, murder the attackers.

Shivering and astonished, Sam delivers his final words, a warning of Salieri's power and finding out about Frank, and is then shot to death by Tommy.