I believe that the play Amadeus would transfer into a ballet adaptation quite well. The story of a hero turned tragic ending is a prominent plot point in famous ballets. Think of ballets such as Swan Lake or Giselle, which have a similar storyline. Thus adding to the validity of the adaptation. It would also take inspiration from classical and romantic era ballet. Keeping the period the same would only benefit this adaptation of the “classicalness” that ballet portrays.
The greatest strength of this adaptation is within the music. Music ties the whole play together, and adding dance will only strengthen it. The music would be taken from Mozart’s own repertoire. In theory, the music would go chronologically with the play along with the referenced music. It would be interesting for different dancers to dance to the music, perhaps taking the most critical or iconic pieces and creating a “character” of them. For example, the Queen of the Night’s aria would be used for the Magic Flute to depict that opera. During the part of the play when the opera was on stage. I think ballet and opera are somewhat similar, so this would align quite well. The prima ballerina would dance as the Requiem and a possible pas du deux may occur between the Requiem and Mozart during Mozart’s death scene.
The period that Amadeus takes place in would correlate with some beautiful costumes on stage. The drama of the fashion of the 1780s matches the drama of a traditional performance tutu. The play’s female characters, such as Constanze, would dress in these tutus. Perhaps taking inspiration from the costumes of the romantic era of ballet. However, it would be pretty interesting to dress the dancers representing the music in beautiful, elaborate “pancake” tutus. Differentiating these dancers from the actual characters of the play. They would represent the music, the character that sings it, or the moment in Mozart’s life. The Magic Flute costume may be dark, villainous, and regal, with lots of beading and sequins. This would be to highlight the Queen of the Night’s aria. I think the Requiem costume could be a deep red, symbolizing the death soon to come. This color is foreboding yet elegant, perfect for the song and its context. For Mozart and Salieri, a costume that represents the period but is also moveable to allow for jumps, turns, and lifts. Frankly, the male fashion of the time matches a lot of male ballet costumes anyway. Big wigs are synonymous with this period when looking at the time’s fashion. I think this could be a lesser version of these wigs used for the Corps de ballet when movement is less strenuous. Another option could be headpieces that symbolize the qualities of these wigs.
Maybe I am biased by my love of the art form and involvement in productions of different ballets myself, but with this knowledge, it would translate well. The drama and beauty of the ballet are great responses to the play Amadeus. The ability to take the play’s drama, music, art, and era is almost perfectly shown in the use of ballet.