Rossini: Guglielmo Tell - Act I | Zancanaro, Merrit, Surjan, Studer - Muti, Ronconi (La Scala 1988)

Title: Guillaume Tell
Composer: Giaochino Rossini
Librettist: Étienne de Jouy, Florent Bis and Armand Marast
Premiere: Salle Le Peletier, 3 August 1829
Language: Italian
Subtitles: English
Act II: https://rumble.com/v68eana-rossini-guglielmo-tell-act-ii-zancanaro-merrit-surjan-studer-muti-ronconi-l.html

Performers:
Giorgio Zancanaro: Guglielmo Tell
Chris Merritt: Arnoldo (amante di Matilde)
Giorgio Surjan: Gualtiero
Franco de Grandis: Melchthal (padre di Arnoldo)
Amelia Felle: Jemmy (figlio di Guglielmo)
Luciana d'Intino: Edwige (moglie di Guglielmo)
Vittorio Terranova: Un pescatore
Alberto Noli: Leutoldo
Luigi Roni: Gessler (governatore)
Cheryl Studer: Matilde (principessa di Habsbourg)
Ernesto Gavazzi: Rodolfo (seguace di Gessler)
Ernesto Panariello: Un cacciatore

Carla Fracci: Ballerina

Orchestra & Chorus of Teatro alla Scala of Milan
Concertmaster & Conductor: Riccardo Muti
Chorus Master: Giulio Bertola
Choreography by: Flemming Flindt
Stage Director: Luca Ronconi
Recorded at Teatro alla Scala, Milano, December 14, 1988

William Tell (French: Guillaume Tell; Italian: Guglielmo Tell) is a French-language opera in four acts by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Victor-Joseph Étienne de Jouy and L. F. Bis, based on Friedrich Schiller's play Wilhelm Tell, which, in turn, drew on the William Tell legend. The opera was Rossini's last, although he lived for nearly 40 more years. Fabio Luisi said that Rossini planned for Guillaume Tell to be his last opera even as he composed it.The often-performed overture in four sections features a depiction of a storm and a vivacious finale, the "March of the Swiss Soldiers". Several portions of the overture were used prominently in the films A Clockwork Orange and The Eagle Shooting Heroes; in addition, Dmitri Shostakovich quotes the main theme of the finale in the first movement of his 15th symphony.

The opera's length, roughly four hours of music, and casting requirements, such as the high range required for the tenor part, have contributed to the difficulty of producing the work. When performed, the opera is often cut. Performances have been given in both French and Italian.

Guillaume Tell Synopsis
- Place: Austrian-occupied Switzerland
- Time: 13th century

Act I - By the shore of Lake Lucerne, at Bürglen in the canton of Uri:
Switzerland, 1307. Guillaume Tell leads the Swiss resistance against the Austrian overlords, led by Gessler. Tell is championed by Melcthal, patriarch of the village, and (hesitantly) by Melcthal's son Arnold, who is in love with the Austrian princess Mathilde. An archery contest, in which Tell's son Jemmy is victorious, is interrupted by the arrival of Leuthold, who has killed an Austrian soldier who was trying to rape his daughter. Tell ferries him over the rapids and when the Austrians arrive, the Swiss refuse to reveal the identity of the ferryman. The Austrians, led by Rodolphe, take Melcthal as a hostage and then loot the village.