Editing Antonio Salieri (section)

===Life after opera (1804–1825)===
When Salieri retired from the stage, he recognized that artistic styles had changed and he felt that he no longer had the creative capacity to adapt or the emotional desire to continue. Also as Salieri aged, he moved slowly away from his more liberal political stances as he saw the enlightened reform of Joseph II's reign, and the hoped-for reforms of the French revolution, replaced with more radical revolutionary ideas. As the political situation threatened and eventually overwhelmed Austria, which was repeatedly crushed by French political forces, Salieri's first and most important biographer [[Ignaz von Mosel]] described the emotional effect that this political, social, and cultural upheaval had on the composer. Mosel noted that these radical changes, especially the invasion and defeat of Austria, and the occupation of Vienna intertwined with the personal losses that struck Salieri in the same period, led to his withdrawal from operatic work. Related to this Mosel quotes the aged composer concerning the radical changes in musical taste that were underway in the age of Beethoven, "From that period [circa 1800] I realized that musical taste was gradually changing in a manner completely contrary to that of my own times. Eccentricity and confusion of genres replaced reasoned and masterful simplicity."{{sfn|Rice|1998|pp=596–597}}

As his teaching and work with the imperial chapel continued, his duties required the composition of a large number of sacred works, and in his last years, it was almost exclusively in religious works and teaching that Salieri occupied himself. Among his compositions written for the chapel were two complete sets of vespers, many graduals, offertories, and four orchestral masses. During this period he lost his only son in 1805 and his wife in 1807.

Salieri continued to conduct publicly, including the performance on 18 March 1808 of [[Haydn]]'s ''[[The Creation (Haydn)|The Creation]]'' during which Haydn collapsed, and several premieres by Beethoven including the 1st and 2nd Piano Concertos and ''[[Wellington's Victory]]''. He also continued to help administer several charities and organize their musical events.

His remaining secular works in this late period fall into three categories: first, large-scale cantatas and one oratorio ''Habsburg'' written on patriotic themes or in response to the international political situation, pedagogical works written to aid his students in voice, and finally simple songs, rounds or canons written for home entertainment; many with original poetry by the composer. He also composed one large-scale instrumental work in 1815 intended as a study in late classical orchestration: ''Twenty-Six Variations for the Orchestra on a Theme called La Folia di Spagna''. The theme is likely folk-derived and is known as ''[[Folia|La Folía]]''. This simple melodic and harmonic progression had served as an inspiration for many baroque composers and would be used by later romantic and post-romantic composers. Salieri's setting is a brooding work in the minor key, which rarely moves far from the original melodic material, its main interest lies in the deft and varied handling of orchestral colors. ''La Folia'' was the most monumental set of orchestral variations before [[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]]' ''[[Variations on a Theme by Haydn]]''.

His teaching of budding young musicians continued, and among his pupils in composition (usually vocal) were [[Ludwig van Beethoven]], [[Antonio Casimir Cartellieri]], [[Franz Liszt]] and [[Franz Schubert]]. {{See LMST|Antonio|Salieri}} He also instructed many prominent singers throughout his career, including [[Caterina Canzi]]. All but the wealthiest of his pupils received their lessons for free, a tribute to the kindness Gassmann had shown Salieri as a penniless orphan.

In November 1823 Salieri attempted suicide.<ref>H. C. Robbins Landon, ''Mozart's Last Year'', 1998, XII. 'Myths and theories', p. 173</ref> He was committed to medical care and suffered [[dementia]] for the last year and a half of his life.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/dec/19/classicalmusicandopera.italy|title=The feud that never was|author=Erica Jeal|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=19 December 2003|access-date=4 July 2021|quote=...in 1823, Salieri – hospitalized, terminally ill and deranged – is said to have accused himself of poisoning Mozart. In more lucid moments he took it back. But the damage was done.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Antonio Salieri|url=https://prezi.com/ieymi3qupvth/antonio-salieri/|access-date=2021-02-02|website=prezi.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Giraudet|first=Jean-Paul|date=2014-03-05|title=Antonio Salieri|url=https://musicalics.com/en/node/80698|access-date=2021-02-02|website=musicalics.com|language=fr}}</ref> He died in Vienna on 7 May 1825, aged 74 and was buried in the Matzleinsdorfer Friedhof on 10 May. At his memorial service on 22 June 1825, his own Requiem in C minor&nbsp;– composed in 1804 – was performed for the first time. His remains were later transferred to the [[Zentralfriedhof]]. His monument is adorned by a poem written by [[Joseph Weigl]], one of his pupils:
<poem lang="de" style="float:left;">Ruh sanft! Vom Staub entblößt,
Wird Dir die Ewigkeit erblühen.
Ruh sanft! In ew'gen Harmonien
Ist nun Dein Geist gelöst.
Er sprach sich aus in zaubervollen Tönen,
Jetzt schwebt er hin zum unvergänglich Schönen.</poem>
<poem style="margin-left:2em; float:left;">Rest in peace! Uncovered by dust
Eternity shall bloom for you.
Rest in peace! In eternal harmonies
Your spirit now is set free.
He expressed himself in enchanting notes,
Now he is floating to everlasting beauty.</poem>{{clear|left}}