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

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.

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.

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.

Mozart confesses that he thought highly of Salieri's work, believing that it would be remembered more than his — but his youthful death ensures he and his music will be immortalized forever.

Few of Salieri's compositions have survived from this early period.

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.

The majority of Salieri's modest number of instrumental works also date from this time.

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.

Salieri's setting is a brooding work in the minor key, which rarely moves far from the original melodic material, its main interest lies in the deft and varied handling of orchestral colors.

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!

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.

Most recently the 2008 movie Iron Man used the Larghetto movement from Salieri's Piano Concerto in C major.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Salieri's first full opera was composed during the winter and carnival season of 1770 ; Le donne letterate and was based on Molière's Les Femmes Savantes ( The Learned Ladies ) with a libretto by Giovanni Gastone Boccherini a dancer in the court ballet, and a brother of the famous composer.

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

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.

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 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 ).

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Salieri's next two operas were not particular or lasting successes, of the two only La secchia rapita ( The Stolen Bucket ), deserves mention.

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.

These works are among the most frequently recorded of Salieri's compositions.

This in effect left Salieri's role as assistant court composer in a much reduced position.

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

Salieri's earliest surviving work is a Mass in C major.

" In July 1783 Mozart wrote to his father of " a trick of Salieri's ", one of several letters in which he accused Salieri of trickery.