Rimsky-Korsakov: Mozart and Salieri, The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga

Antonio Salieri must be the most maligned composer in history. Rumours spread after Mozart's death that he had been poisoned by Salieri (without a shred of evidence beyond letters from Mozart to his father in the 1780s that "cabals" of Italians, led by Salieri, were making life difficult for him).

These rumours led to Pushkin writing a poetic dialogue between the composers – Mozart und Salieri – which Rimsky-Korsakov set as a short opera. Subsequently, the play and film Amadeus gave mass circulation to the slander.

This recording of a live performance from the Bolshoi shows it to be an engaging dialogue, with the great Russian bass Nesterenko as a fascinating Salieri. Pushkin's libretto is not provided here (but can be downloaded via a quick Google search). The accompanying short opera here is also well worth a listen. select-music.co.uk