GUILLAUME TELL " Guillaume Tell " or " William Tell " is a grand opera in three acts, with words by Etienne Jouy, Hippolyte Bis and Armand Marast and music by Gioachino Rossini. It is taken from Schiller's drama of the same name and was first presented at the Academie in Paris, Aug. 3, 1829. Of the fifty or more operas written by the composer, " William Tell " was the last. It has been much changed and abbrevi ated since its original presentation, which required six hours.
William Tell, Arnold, Swiss Patriots.
Walter Ffirst, Melchthal, Arnold's father.
Gessler, Governor of Schwitz and Uri.
Rudolph, Captain of Gessler's bodyguard.
Ruodi, a fisherman.
Leuthold, a shepherd.
Matilda, a Princess of the House of Hapsburg. Hedwiga, Tell's wife.
Jemmy, Tell's son.
Chorus of peasants of the three cantons, pages and ladies of the train of Matilda, hunters, soldiers and guards of Gessler, three brides and their bridegrooms.
The scene is laid in Switzerland in the Thirteenth Cen tury. The opera opens with a chorus of peasants who are celebrating a wedding. Tell tries to join in the gaiety but his heart is heavy at the thought of the Austrian tyranny which, in the hands of Gessler, is oppressing the land. Arnold von Melcthal, son of an old Swiss patriot, is in love with Matilda, Princess of Hapsburg and daughter of Gessler. He has saved her life and stands in much favor with the lady. Arnold resolves, after a struggle, to be true to his country and promises Tell to help him in the campaign of liberation. The news that one of the followers of Gessler has attempted to abduct the daughter of a Swiss herdsman, Leuthold, acts like a match to gunpowder and the spirit of rebellion is no longer slumbering. The herdsman who has killed the ruffian flies to Tell for protection and the fact that Tell has harbored him arouses the anger of Gessler.
A great conspiracy takes place in the mountains, the cantons banding together under Tell, who vows to lead them either to victory or to death. Arnold no longer falters be tween love and duty, for his aged father has been put to death by the tyrant on the charge of having incited the people to insurrection. Gessler, who fears the conspiracy, plans a test by which he may discover the loyal as distinguished from the malcontents. He puts his hat on a pole in a public square at Altdorf and commands everybody to do homage to it. Naturally, the valiant Tell refuses and Gessler devises a most ingenious penalty. He orders Tell to shoot an apple from his son's head. The patriot is a clever archer and successfully accomplishes this without injury to the boy.
As he is about to depart, Gessler spies another arrow con cealed beneath his cloak and asks its object. Tell boldly answers that it was intended for Gessler in case he had slain his son. For this frankness he is thrown into prison. Matilda, thoroughly disgusted with her father's wanton cruelty, abandons him and swears to aid in the rescue of Tell and his son. Arnold raises a band of followers and succeeds in slaying the tyrant and freedom is gained for the country. Tell is restored to his family, and Arnold and Matilda are happily united, while the prayers of the devout and thank ful Swiss ascend to heaven.
The overture is one of the best of its kind, and ranks easily among the most widely popular of any in the en tire range of orchestral literature. It is the only dra matic overture written by Rossini, and with its picture first of mountain calm, then its great storm scene, its trumpet call to freedom, its stirring Swiss air, " Ranz des Vaches " (" Calling of the cows "), it is one of the most perfect and beautiful of introductions. The opening part was written for five solo violoncellos accompanied by the other 'cellos and double basses, but frequently we hear wind instruments in place of part of the 'cellos. The deep voices of 'cellos and basses, or of bassoons, speak of the loneliness and serenity of the Alpine heights, the harmony and solitude of nature, and as opera deals with men, we feel that the music is picturing repose and harmony in human life; but as a strong contrast there follows the great storm scene, in which the entire orchestra partici pates. It is realistic, we see the flashes of lightning, we hear the thunder reverberating among the mountains, and then the descent of the rain. Esther Singleton in review ing this famous overture says of this part: "While this storm has not the grandeur of Beethoven's in the Pastoral Symphony, nor the awe inspiring quality of that in Gluck's Iphigene en Tauride, nor the realistic effect of the Vor spiel to Die Walkiire, it is full of majesty." The storm subsides and there is heard a tale in melody of pastoral life in which occurs the charming ranz des vaches, and we hear the soft tinkle of the bell of the flocks which are grazing near by, and hear the shepherd singing gay snatches of song. Again all is calm and repose, but added to the calm of the first part we feel a freshness and sim ple gaiety in the scenes depicted, rather than solitude. The closing part of the overture is brilliant, and a great depth of feeling is displayed in the gay melody of the violins.