Title : William Tell Overture (from the opera Guillaume Tell / William Tell)
Composer : Gioacchino Rossini
First premiered by the Paris Opéra at the Salle Le Peletieron on 3 August 1829
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| Gioacchino Rossini |
The William Tell Overture is the overture to the opera William Tell (original French title Guillaume Tell). William Tell premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, after which he went into semi-retirement. The overture is in four parts, each following without pause.
Today, the opera is remembered mostly for its famous overture, especially the high-energy galloping finale, which is particularly familiar through its use in the American radio and television shows of The Lone Ranger. It was also used as the theme music for the British television series The Adventures of William Tell. Several portions of the overture were used prominently in the film A Clockwork Orange.
The overture lasts for approximately 12 minutes, paints a musical picture of life in the Swiss Alps, the setting of the opera. It was described by Berlioz (who usually loathed Rossini's works) as "a symphony in four parts", but unlike a symphony with its discrete movements, the overture's parts transition from one to the next without any break.
Music
Instrumentation
- piccolo
- flute
- two oboes (first or second oboe doubles a cor anglais)
- two clarinets in A
- two bassoons
- four French horns in G and E
- two trumpets in E
- three trombones
- timpani
- triangle
- bass drum and cymbals
- Violin I & II
- Violas
- Cellos
- Basses
Structure
This overture is almost 12-13 minutes. It been separated into 4 parts and the parts transition from one to the next without any break.
- Prelude, Dawn
The Prelude is a slow passage in E major, scored for five solo cellos accompanied by double basses. It begins in E minor with a solo cello which is in turn 'answered' by the remaining cellos and the double basses. An impending storm is hinted at by two very quiet timpani rolls resembling distant thunder. The section ends with a very high sustained note played by the first cello.
- Storm
This dynamic section in E minor is played by the full orchestra. It begins with the violins and violas. Their phrases are punctuated by short wind instrument interventions of three notes each, first by the piccolo, flute and oboes, then by the clarinets and bassoons. The storm breaks out in full with the entrance of the French horns, trumpets, trombones, and bass drum. The volume and number of instruments gradually decreases as the storm subsides. The section ends with the flute playing alone.
- Ranz des Vaches
This pastorale section in G major signifying the calm after the storm begins with a Ranz des Vaches or "Call to the Cows", featuring the Cor Anglais (English horn). The horn then plays in alternating phrases with the flute, culminating in a duet with the triangle accompanying them in the background.
- Finale, March Of The Swiss Soldiers
The Finale, often called the "March of the Swiss Soldiers" in English, is in E major like the Prelude, but is an ultra-dynamic galop heralded by trumpets and played by the full orchestra.
William Tell Overture (Full Movement) video :
William Tell Overture (Full Score) pdf file :
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