Comments on: What Amadeus Shows Us About Creativity

By: mark

mark — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:01:23 +0000

I think the concept of “beginner’s luck” in sport or games can be seen in the same way. At first we approach it with the sheer enjoyment of the novice, but then exterior things intrude, we read coaching manuals on how to play better, we compare ourselves to others and to our last game.

Reading the quotation by Salieri and suffering bouts of CFS/M.E. myself, I am always intrigued when, where and how the word “me” (m.e) pops up.

By: Processing the world « allumination

Processing the world « allumination — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:19:04 +0000

[...] â€˜I think we can identify two different approaches to creativity in Salieri and Mozart.â€¦ For Salieri, [the temptations of real world success, praise, etc] intrude on the creative process, distracting him from his real work so that he deteriorates into obsession and mediocrity. For Mozart, they are kept at bay – at least during â€˜work timeâ€™ – by a kind of magic circle, within which the artist is entranced by the art itself, immersed in creative flow.â€™ [...]

By: Mark McGuinness

Mark McGuinness — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:57:40 +0000

Thanks Tim! I actually watched that scene again yesterday, when I was transcribing quotations for the post (couldn’t help letting the film run on…) and started to think I was being a bit hard on Salieri, you’d have to have a heart of stone not to pity him in that scene.

I’m glad you liked the post, it’s been turning over in my mind for a while. And I’ve got another Amadeus one in the pipeline…

By: Tim Siedell

Tim Siedell — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:10:19 +0000

One of the best blog posts I’ve read in a long, long time. Very insightful, Mark.

There’s a sequence in Amadeus that just slays me every time. Salieri composes a welcoming march for Mozart. He struggles with it. It’s hard work, but he’s pleased with the final piece. It’s played as Mozart enters. Mozart is genuinely touched by the gesture. Without thinking, though, he improvises improvements right on the spot. It’s creative play for him. It’s effortless. And it breaks Salieri’s heart.

Again, great post. Thanks.

By: Mark McGuinness

Mark McGuinness — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:27:59 +0000

Thanks Henri, glad you liked it. Some nice stuff on your blog too.

By: Henri Weijo

Henri Weijo — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:05:34 +0000

Thanks Mark, lovely read! And I agree whole heartedly with almost everything you said.