A new six-part TV drama about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has drawn sharp criticism in The Guardian for failing to match the depth of its source material. Starring Will Sharpe as Mozart and Paul Bettany as rival composer Antonio Salieri, the series reworks Peter Shaffer's 1979 play and the 1984 film but delivers a flat and banal narrative. Critics argue it reduces profound themes to petty versions.
The series, co-created by Joe Barton and Julian Farino, frames its story as an aged Salieri's confession to Mozart's widow Constanze, diverging from the original play and film's setup with a priest. This change lowers the stakes early on, according to reviewer Lucy Mangan. The narrative begins in 1781, a decade before Mozart's death, as he arrives in Vienna from Salzburg, tumbling from a carriage in a drunken state before his landlady's daughters.
Mozart, portrayed by Sharpe, quickly gains favor, performing for Emperor Joseph II, played by Rory Kinnear, and captivating the court. Salieri, however, watches in growing despair, recognizing Mozart's unparalleled genius but unable to compete. He views the young composer as a 'repulsive creature' undeserving of such divine talent, fueling his bitterness and schemes to undermine him. While Mozart initially thrives, he later descends into financial ruin, exacerbated by Salieri's intrigues and his own arrogance.
Mangan highlights the series' shortcomings in handling key moments, such as when Constanze delivers Mozart's manuscripts to Salieri. The original film's poignant speech—'Displace one note and there would be diminishment. Displace one phrase and the structure would fall'—is replaced by a simple visual contrast of pristine pages versus Salieri's scribbled drafts. Bettany's Salieri offers a solid effort but cannot rival F. Murray Abraham's Oscar-winning performance from the 1984 film. Sharpe's Mozart, meanwhile, comes across as lackluster and unconvincing, evoking a 'milquetoast with a drink problem' rather than a vibrant genius.
Overall, the review laments the production's failure to innovate on Shaffer's exploration of envy, faith, and talent, calling it crass and airless. It urges for fresh dramas in 2026 over such reworkings.
