Two Envies, Too Envious

Since I’ve mentioned I’m a Mozart fan, it shouldn’t surprise you that I loved the movie Amadeus. Sure, it’s probably not historically accurate, but I still like it. Doug Walker--The Nostalgia Critic-- made a great point concerning that. He stated it doesn’t necessarily need to be accurate because it is told through the eye of a man at the epoch of madness. I’d never thought of that, but his insight has given me the freedom to enjoy it more. You can watch his commentary here.

One particular element in the movie strikes me as spot on: Mozart’s Envy. ‘Huh?  Mozart’s Envy?,’ those who have seen it may be asking.  True, the envy of Salieri is obvious in the overall theme of the movie.  But, I’ve not researched enough to know if this kind of envy actually burned within the opposing composer.  Nor, do I believe Salieri’s jealousy is as detrimental as Mozart’s.  Yet, the movie does display two envies.  Salieri’s, which is obvious.  And, hints at Mozart’s, a subtle suggestion of a historical reality.

First, there is Salieri’s envy.  I call this type, ‘Talent Envy.’  I’m not out to declare that any jealousy is good, but there is an element of acknowledged greatness with this type of envy.  ‘If I could be like Mike...’  The jingle from my teen years still echoes today.  Not only does this type of envy acknowledge greatness, it can often spur greatness.  How many young men have spent countless hours practicing basketball to become the next Michael Jordan?  Or, after hearing stories about Mozart’s prodigy while listening to his music, how many musicians created works of greatness?  Beethoven? Sure, there are negatives to this type of jealousy, as Amadeus eludes, but how many of these lead to such Salieri overreactions and cutthroat manipulations?  

The Mozartian envy, however, is arrogant, insulting and rude. The envy that more often plagues me. ‘Success Envy.’ Whereas an individual suffering from Talent Envy might say, ‘If only I had so-and-so’s talent, I’d…’ an individual with Success Envy would say, ‘that person is only successful because…’  Those with such a jealously believe they are uniquely superior, in whichever discipline, and the world can’t acknowledge it because it lacks intelligence. Think about that co-worker that says if he were he charge he’d run the place better, because no one in management as any common sense.  Or, that opinionated political guy who tells everyone what’s wrong with everything.  Or, the wannabe actors, singers, or writers that believe popular culture spews nothing but shallow drivel forced onto the masses by consumeristic corporations that want to sell junk no one really needs.  Those artists are not sorry that they can’t keep up with the Kardashians. They are simply mad that everyone else is trying to.

I am not saying the ‘success-envious’ are always wrong by such assumptions.  Mozart was clearly right.  But, even when an individual is right, he or she often rubs people the wrong way. Such a person believes that the world should simply acknowledge his or her greatness regardless of the attitude with which a talent is presented.  A brilliant example from Amadeus is the scene where Salieri formally meets Mozart. Salieri had slaved to write music for Mozart.  When Mozart received it, his attitude was flippant and he learned it after one hearing and improved the song with ease, laughing the entire time. Now, Mozart’s behavior was unintentional, but it does illustrate an attitude I’ve picked up from Mozart’s letters. I can’t help but wonder how many of Mozart’s occupational troubles stem from his jealousy concerning the perceived undeserved successes of others, and an over-reliance on his sheer talents.

Of course, neither Success Envy nor Talent Envy necessarily correlates with an individual’s talents.  That is to say, immensely talented people can be plagued with self-doubt, jealous of their peers’ talents, when they may actually be more skilled than their counterparts.  Or, untalented individuals may believe their talents should be propped on a pedestal.

In order to feed their theme, the creators of Amadeus overemphasized that Mozart was a man before his time. A man plagued by a world that couldn’t acknowledge his talents, the only visionary being his greatest rival.  Salieri recognized Mozart’s greatness, but refused to acknowledge it.  Sure, some contemporaries agreed that Mozart was not properly compensated for his talents, Hadyn for instance.  I just struggle to grasp… What would have been the proper amount of compensation or acknowledgement?  And, even if he had received what we determine as acceptable, would it have satisfied him?  Or would he have simply craved more, squandering the increased finances and attention?