Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart arrives in the Vienna of Joseph II, son of Maria Theresa of Austria. He is introduced by Salieri, a court musician, respected and appreciated everywhere. In a short time, Mozart, with his immense talent, arouses great enthusiasm, but also enmity and jealousy. Salieri, aware of the limits of his own musical prowess, thus begins to harbour genuine hatred towards him. He admires his art but deplores his insolent behaviour and foul language. Yet Mozart seems to triumph even in the sovereign’s heart, whilst Salieri, consumed by envy, swears to himself that he will have no peace until he sees his rival dead. Despite his great successes, Mozart finds himself poor and abandoned by his wife Constanze at the end of his short life. He agrees to compose a Requiem, which he will dictate to Salieri himself as he is too ill to write it. All this is recounted by Salieri himself, confined to a chronicle, now old and without peace.
