Amadeus: Peter Shaffer based his 1981 drama on the short play by Aleksandr Pushkin Mozart and Salieri, which loosely follows the lives of mid 18th century composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. Salieri, a devout Catholic and great admirer of Mozart's music, finally gets the chance to meet his idol, only to discover the great composer's personality isn't nearly so virtuous as his compositions. Disillusioned, Salieri poses as Mozart's friend while doing everything in his power to destroy his mentor's career and perhaps even his life