View source for William Tell (opera)

{{short description|1829 opera by Gioachino Rossini}}
{{About|the Rossini opera|the Grétry opera|Guillaume Tell (Grétry)|other uses|William Tell (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox opera 
| name              = Guillaume Tell<br />William Tell
| composer          = [[Gioachino Rossini]]
| image             = Eugène Du Faget - Costume designs for Guillaume Tell - 1-3. Laure Cinti-Damoreau as Mathilde, Adolphe Nourrit as Arnold Melchtal, and Nicolas Levasseur as Walter Furst.jpg
| image_upright     = 1.6
| caption           = Costume designs by Eugène Du Faget for the original production: [[Laure Cinti-Damoreau]] as Mathilde, [[Adolphe Nourrit]] as Arnold Melchtal, and [[Nicolas Levasseur]] as Walter Furst
| other_name        = 
| librettist        = {{plainlist|
* [[Victor-Joseph Étienne de Jouy|Étienne de Jouy]]
* [[Hippolyte Bis]]
}}
| language          = French
| based_on          = {{based on|''[[William Tell (play)|Wilhelm Tell]]''|[[Friedrich Schiller]]}}
| premiere_date     = {{Start date|1829|08|03|df=y}}
| premiere_location = {{Nowrap|[[Salle Le Peletier]], Paris}}
}}
'''''William Tell''''' ({{langx|fr|'''Guillaume Tell'''|link=no}}; {{langx|it|'''Guglielmo Tell'''|link=no}}) is a French-language [[opera]] in four acts by Italian composer [[Gioachino Rossini]] to a [[libretto]] by [[Victor-Joseph Étienne de Jouy]] and [[Hippolyte Bis|L. F. Bis]], based on [[Friedrich Schiller]]'s play ''[[William Tell (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.<ref>Interview on [[Toll Brothers]] [[Metropolitan Opera]] broadcast of ''Guillaume Tell'', rebroadcast on 18 March 2017.</ref> The often-performed [[William Tell Overture|overture]] in four sections features a depiction of a storm and a vivacious finale, the "March of the Swiss Soldiers".

Paris Opéra archivist [[Charles Malherbe]] discovered the original orchestral score of the opera in the hands of a second-hand bookseller, resulting in its being acquired by the [[Paris Conservatoire]] in 1898.<ref>[{{Google Books|plainurl=yes|id=f0Ke4i1XJNgC|page=339|text="Guillaume Tell"}} "(untitled, preceding 'Foreign Notes{{'"}})], ''[[The Musical Times]]'', vol. 39, no. 663, May 1898, p. 339. Via [[Google Books]]. {{JSTOR|3368797}} Retrieved 4 May 2025.</ref>

==Performance history==
[[File:ROSSINI-1829-Litho Charlet Ory.jpg|thumb|upright|1829 lithograph of Rossini]]

''Guillaume Tell'' was first performed by the [[Paris Opéra]] at the [[Salle Le Peletier]] on 3 August 1829, but within three performances cuts were being made and after a year only three acts were performed.<ref name="Kaminski">{{harvnb|Kaminski|2003|pp=1355–1358}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Albright">{{cite journal | url=http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/9/4/259 | last=Fregosi | first=William | title=''Guglielmo Tell''. Gioachino Rossini |journal=[[The Opera Quarterly]]| volume=9 | issue=4 | pages=259–264 | year=1993 | access-date=21 October 2007| doi=10.1093/oq/9.4.259| url-access=subscription }}</ref> When performed, the opera is often cut. Performances have been given in both French and Italian. Political concerns have also contributed to the varying fortunes of the work.

In Italy, because the work glorified a revolutionary figure against authority, the opera encountered difficulties with the Italian censors, and the number of productions in Italy was limited. The [[Teatro San Carlo]] produced the opera in 1833, but then did not give another production for around 50 years. The first Venice production, at the [[Teatro La Fenice]], was not until 1856. By contrast, in Vienna, in spite of censorship problems there, the [[Vienna Court Opera]] gave 422 performances over the years 1830 to 1907.<ref name="Braunstein">{{cite journal | url=http://mq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/XXXVIII/4/667-b | last=Braunstein | first=Joseph | title=Reviews of Records – Rossini: ''William Tell'' |journal=[[The Musical Quarterly]]| volume=38 | issue=4 | pages=667–671 | year=1952 | access-date=21 October 2007 | doi = 10.1093/mq/xxxviii.4.667-b | url-access=subscription }}</ref> As ''Hofer, or the Tell of the Tyrol'', the opera was first performed at [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane|Drury Lane]] in London on 1 May 1830 (in English), with a production in Italian following in 1839 at [[Her Majesty's Theatre|Her Majesty's]], and in French at [[Royal Opera House|Covent Garden]] in 1845.<ref name="Kobbé"/> In New York, ''William Tell'' was first presented on 19 September 1831.{{sfn|Gossett|Brauner|2001|p=794}} It was revived at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] in 1923 with [[Rosa Ponselle]] and [[Giovanni Martinelli]], and there were revivals during the 1930s in Milan, Rome, Paris, Berlin and Florence.<ref name="Kobbé"/> When the opera was performed at [[Gran Teatre del Liceu]] (Barcelona) in 1893, an anarchist threw two [[Orsini bomb]]s in the theatre.<ref>{{cite web|title=Barcelona, 1893–1897|publisher=International Institute of Social History|date=1 November 2014|url=http://www.iisg.nl/collections/anarchist-assaults/barcelona.php|access-date=1 November 2014}}</ref>

In the later 20th century there were major productions in [[Maggio Musicale Fiorentino|Florence]] (1972), [[Grand Théâtre de Genève|Geneva]] (1979, 1991), La Scala (1988), [[Théâtre des Champs-Élysées]] (1989), Covent Garden (1990), and then [[Opéra Bastille]] (2003)<ref name="Kaminski"/> as well as at the Sportspalace in Pesaro (lasting over 5 hours, 1995).
In 2010 there was an important revival of the opera, when it opened the [[Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia]]'s season, under [[Antonio Pappano]].<ref>[http://www.santacecilia.it/en/news/guillaumetell.html "Report from Santa Cecilia", 3 September 2010, on santacecilias.it]</ref> This performance was of the French version, with some cuts to particularly the fourth act (which Pappano noted had been approved by Rossini himself).<ref>[[Antonio Pappano|Pappano, Antonio]], (15 July 2011), [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jul/15/antonio-pappano-william-tell-proms "Proms take a bite of ''William Tell''"], ''[[The Guardian]]'' (London)</ref> A live [[#Recordings|recording]] of this concert performance was released in 2011, and the production was transferred to [[The Proms]] in July of that year, with [[Michele Pertusi]] taking on the title role, Patricia Bardon<ref>[http://www.opera-rara.com/bardon-patricia-.html Patricia Bardon] on Opera Rara</ref> as Hedwige, [[Nicolas Courjal]] as Gessler, and [[Mark Stone (baritone)|Mark Stone]] as Leuthold. The performance was very well reviewed, and marked the first full performance of the work in the history of the Proms.<ref>[[Edward Seckerson|Seckerson, Edward]], (17 July 2011), [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/reviews/prom-2-rossini--william-tell-royal-albert-hall-london-2315299.html "Prom 2: Rossini – ''William Tell'', Royal Albert Hall, London"], ''The Independent'' (London).</ref>

A co-production by the [[Dutch National Opera]] and the Metropolitan Opera New York of the opera in the original French opened at the Met in October 2016 with [[Gerald Finley]] in the title role.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Tommasini|first1=Anthony|author-link=Anthony Tommasini|title=Review: A New, Abstract ''Guillaume Tell'' at the Met Opera|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/arts/music/review-rossini-guillaume-tell-metropolitan-opera-pierre-audi.html|access-date=8 April 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=19 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=''Guillaume Tell'' – The Metropolitan Opera (2016)|url=https://www.opera-online.com/en/items/productions/guillaume-tell-the-metropolitan-opera-2016-2016|website=Opera Online|access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref>

According to an anecdote, when an admirer told the composer that he had heard his opera the previous night, Rossini replied "What? The whole of it?".<ref name="Kobbé">{{harvnb|Kobbé|Lascelles|1972|pp=370–373}}</ref> Another version of the story refers only to act 2.<ref name="Kaminski"/> In 1864 Offenbach quoted the patriotic trio from act 2, "Lorsque la Grèce est un champ de carnage" in ''[[La belle Hélène]]''.<ref name="Kaminski"/>

==Overture==
{{main|William Tell Overture}}
{{listen|type=music|filename=Guillaume Tell - Overture - (Rossini, Gioacchino) by Fritz Reiner (conductor).mp3|title=Overture|description=[[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]], [[Fritz Reiner]] conducting (1959)}}
The famous [[overture]] to the opera is often heard independently of the complete work.<ref>Kirby, Percival R., "Rossini's Overture to ''William Tell''" (April 1952). ''[[Music & Letters]]'', '''33''' (2): pp. 132–140.</ref> Its high-energy finale, "March of the Swiss Soldiers", is particularly familiar through its use in the American radio and television shows of ''[[The Lone Ranger]]''. The overture was prominently featured in the 1935 [[Walt Disney]] cartoon  ''[[The Band Concert]]'' starring [[Mickey Mouse]] and [[Donald Duck]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Studwell|first=William Emmett|author-link=William Studwell|year=1997|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VhV1u2oIb-QC&pg=PA90|title=The Americana Song Reader|publisher=Routledge|pages=90–91|isbn=0-7890-0150-0}}</ref> Several portions of the overture were used prominently in the films ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|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 [[Symphony No. 15 (Shostakovich)|15th symphony]]. The overture has four parts, each linked to the next:

*"The Prelude (Dawn)" is written only for the [[cello]] section (including parts for five soloists), the [[double bass]]es, and the [[timpani]], in a slow tempo and in [[E major]].
*"The Storm" is a dynamic section played by the full orchestra, with backup from the trombones, in [[E minor]].
*The "[[Ranz des Vaches]]", or "call to the dairy cows", features the [[cor anglais]] (English horn) and the [[flute]]. It is in [[G major]].
*The finale ("March of the Swiss Soldiers") is an ultra-dynamic "cavalry charge" [[galop]] heralded by [[French horn|horn]]s and [[trumpet]]s, and is played by the full orchestra in [[E major]].

==Roles==
{| class="wikitable"
|+{{sronly|Roles, voice types, premiere cast}}
!Role
![[Voice type]]
!Premiere cast, 3 August 1829<br />Conductor: [[Henri&nbsp;Valentino]]<ref>Manuscript letter with Rossini's autograph signature from Rossini to Valentino (Paris, 9 August 1829), thanking Valentino for preparing and conducting the orchestra ([http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb417360226/PUBLIC BnF catalogue général – Notice bibliographique]); {{harvnb|Castil-Blaze|1855|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=AcUwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA211 211]}}; {{harvnb|Pougin|1880}}; {{harvnb|Chouquet|1889}}; {{harvnb|Tamvaco|2000|pp=56, 619}}; {{harvnb|Cooper|Ellis|2001}}. Some authors have credited [[François Habeneck]] as the conductor: {{harvnb|Wolff|1962|p=105}}; {{harvnb|Weinstock|1968|p=164}}; {{harvnb|Macdonald|2001}}; {{harvnb|Casaglia|2005}}; {{harvnb|Osborne|2007|p=110}}.</ref>
|-
|[[William Tell|Guillaume Tell]]
|[[baritone]]
|[[Henri-Bernard Dabadie]]
|-
|Hedwige, ''his wife''
|[[mezzo-soprano]]
|Mlle Mori
|-
|Jemmy, ''his son''
|[[soprano]]
|[[Zulmé Dabadie]]
|-
|Mathilde, ''a [[Habsburg]] princess''
|soprano
|[[Laure Cinti-Damoreau]]
|-
|Arnold Melchtal
|[[tenor]]
|[[Adolphe Nourrit]]
|-
|Melchtal, ''his father''
|[[bass (voice type)|bass]]
|Monsieur Bonel
|-
|[[Albrecht Gessler|Gesler]], ''the Austrian Governor of the cantons of [[Canton of Uri|Uri]] and [[canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]]''
|bass
|[[Alexandre Prévost]]
|-
|[[Walter Fürst|Walter Furst]]
|bass
|[[Nicolas Levasseur]]
|-
|Ruodi, ''a fisherman''
|tenor
|[[Alexis Dupont]]
|-
|Leuthold, ''a shepherd''
|bass
|[[Ferdinand Prévôt]]
|-
|Rodolphe, ''Captain of Gesler's guard''
|tenor
|[[Jean-Étienne-Auguste Massol]]
|-
|A hunter
|baritone
|Beltrame Pouilley
|-
| colspan="3"|''Peasants, shepherds, knights, pages, ladies, soldiers, bridal couples''
|}

==Instrumentation==
The instrumentation is:
*[[Woodwind instrument|Woodwinds]]: a [[piccolo]], a [[Western concert flute|flute]], 2 [[oboe]]s (1st doubles [[cor anglais]]), 2 [[clarinet]]s in A and 2 [[bassoon]]s
*[[Brass instrument|Brass]]: 4 [[French horn|horns]] (2 in G and 2 in E), 4 [[trumpet]]s in E and 3 [[trombone]]s
*[[Percussion instrument|Percussion]]: 2 [[timpani]], [[triangle (musical instrument)|triangle]], [[bass drum]], [[cymbal]]s, [[bell]] and [[tam-tam]]
*[[String section|Strings]]: first [[violin]]s, second [[violin]]s, [[viola]], [[cello|violoncelli]], [[double bass]]es, 2 [[harp]]s
*On stage: 4 horns

==Synopsis==
:Place: Austrian-occupied [[Switzerland]]
:Time: 13th century{{sfn|Osborne|1994|p=131}}

===Act 1===
[[File:Una specie di villaggio in mezzo alla montagna, bozzetto di Carlo Ferrario per Guglielmo Tell (1899) - Archivio Storico Ricordi ICON012172.jpg|thumb|''A Mountain Village'', set design for ''Guglielmo Tell'', act 1 scene 1 (1899)]]
[[File:(Guillaume Tell Acte I (...)Rubé Auguste btv1b55010612k.jpg|thumb|Set design for act 1 in a 19th-century production]]
''By the shore of [[Lake Lucerne]], at [[Bürglen, Uri|Bürglen]] in the [[canton of Uri]]''

It is the day of the Shepherd Festival, in May, near Lake Lucerne. The action opens on an idyllic scene, with the local peasants busily preparing chalets for three newly wedded couples, singing as they work (''Quel jour serein le ciel présage'' – "What a serene day the sky foretells"). The fisherman, Ruodi, sings a gentle love song from his boat (to orchestral accompaniment from the harps and flutes). Tell stands apart from the general merriment and laments Switzerland's continued oppression by the [[Duchy of Austria#House of Habsburg|Austrian Habsburgs]] (''Il chante, et l'Helvétie pleure sa liberté'' – "He sings, and Helvetia mourns her liberty"). His wife and son add their own interpretation of Ruodi's song, presaging the coming nautical dramas.

The activities are interrupted by the ''ranz des vaches'' resounding from the hills (often performed by off-stage horns, and echoing in its theme the ''ranz de vaches'' in the opera's overture). The horns also signal the arrival of Melchthal, a respected elder of the canton. He is persuaded by Hedwige to bless the couples at the celebration. However, his son Arnold, though of marriageable age, is not participating and is evidently uncomfortable. The entire on-stage cast sings in celebration (''Célebrons tous en ce beau jour, le travail, l'hymen et l'amour'' – "Let all celebrate, on this glorious day, work, marriage and love"). Tell invites Melchthal into his chalet; before they move off, Melchthal chides his son for his failure to marry.

His father's rebuke provokes an outpouring of despair from Arnold: in his recitative we learn of his previous service in the forces of the Austrian rulers, his rescue of Mathilde from an avalanche, and the conflict between his love for her and his shame at serving the "perfidious power". Horn fanfares herald the approach of Gesler, the Austrian governor, whom the Swiss detest, and his entourage. Arnold moves off to greet their arrival, as Mathilde will accompany them, but is stopped by Tell. Inquiring as to where Arnold is going, Tell persuades him to consider joining the planned rebellion against the governor. The expressive duet in which this takes place again shows the tension Arnold feels between his love for Mathilde and the "fatherland" (''Ah! Mathilde, idole de mon âme!...Ô ma patrie, mon cœur te sacrifie...'' – "Ah, Mathilde, idol of my soul...O my fatherland, my heart sacrifices to you..."). By the end of the exchange, Arnold is prepared to confront Gesler the moment he arrives; Tell persuades him to at least let the festival pass in peace, but knows he has gained a convert to the cause of freedom.

The villagers then reassemble, and Melchthal blesses the couples. The blessing is followed by singing, dancing and an archery contest that Tell's young son Jemmy wins with his first shot – a result of his "paternal heritage". It is Jemmy who notices the hurried approach of the pale, trembling and wounded shepherd, Leuthold, who killed one of Gesler's soldiers to defend his daughter and is fleeing the governor's forces. He seeks to escape to the opposite shore, but the cowardly Ruodi refuses to take him in his boat, fearing that the current and the rocks make approaching the opposite bank impossible. Tell returns from searching for the departed Arnold just in time: even as the soldiers approach, calling for Leuthold's blood, Tell takes Leuthold into the boat and out onto the water. Gesler's guards arrive, led by Rodolphe, who is further incensed by the villagers' prayers and their evident joy at the escape. Melchthal urges the villagers not to tell Rodolphe who it was who aided Leuthold, and is taken prisoner by the guards. As Rodolphe and the soldiers promise retribution (''Que du ravage, que du pillage sur ce rivage pèse l'horreur!''), Tell's family and friends take comfort in Tell's skills as an archer, which will surely save them.

===Act 2===
''On the heights of [[Rütli]], overlooking the Lake and the Cantons''

[[File:(Guillaume Tell Acte II (...)Cambon Charles-Antoine btv1b550106131.jpg|thumb|Set design for act 2 by [[Charles-Antoine Cambon]]]]

A hunting party of ladies and gentlemen, accompanied by soldiers, hears the sound of the shepherds returning from the hills as night approaches. Hearing the Governor's horns, they too take their leave. Mathilde, however, lingers, believing she has glimpsed Arnold in the vicinity. She is, like Arnold, anguished by the love she feels for her rescuer, and contemplates it as she sings ([[Sombre forêt|''Sombre forêt, désert triste et sauvage'']] – "Somber forest, sad and savage wilderness"). Arnold appears, and each confesses to the other their desire for this meeting. In their duet (''Oui, vous l'arrachez à mon âme'' – "Yes, you wring from my soul"), they recognise their mutual passion, but also the obstacles they face. Urging him to "return to the fields of glory", Mathilde assures him of the eventual acceptability of his suit, and leaves at the approach of Tell and Walter. They question Arnold as to why he loves Mathilde, a member of the oppressing Austrians. Arnold, offended by their spying, declares his intention to continue fighting for the Austrians, and thus gain glory, rather than liberty. However, when Walter tells him that Gesler has executed his father Melchthal, Arnold vows revenge (''Qu'entends-je? ô crime!'' – "What do I hear? O crime!").

As the three men affirm their dedication – "to independence or death" – they hear the sound of someone else approaching. It is the men of the canton of [[Unterwalden]] coming to join the fight, and describing their journey in a rather gentle refrain (''Nous avons su braver''). In quick succession, they are joined by the men of Schwyz (''En ces temps de malheurs'') and Uri (''Guillaume, tu le vois''). The gathering is complete, and the tone and tempo of the finale rises as the men of the three cantons affirm their willingness to fight or die for the freedom of Switzerland (''Jurons, jurons par nos dangers'' – "Let us swear, let us swear by our dangers"). Plans are made to arm the cantons and to rise up when "the beacons of vengeance burn".

===Act 3===
[[File:Gioachino Rossini - Guillaume Tell - Charles-Abraham Chasselat - dessin préparatoire à la gravure 3 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Tell prepares to shoot the apple off Jemmy's head]]
''Scene 1: A ruined/deserted chapel in the Altdorf palace grounds''

Arnold has come to tell Mathilde that, instead of leaving for battle, he is staying to avenge his father, and thereby renouncing both glory and Mathilde. When he tells her that it was Gesler who had his father executed, she denounces his crime, and recognises the impossibility of their love (''Pour notre amour, plus d'espérance'' – "All hope for our love has gone"). Hearing preparations for the coming festival in the palace grounds, they bid a fond farewell to each other (''Sur la rive étrangère'' – "Though upon a foreign shore").

''Scene 2: The main square at Altdorf''

The day is the hundredth anniversary of Austrian rule in Switzerland. Soldiers sing of the glories of Gesler and the Emperor. In commemoration, Gesler has had his hat placed on top of a pole and the Swiss are ordered and then forced to pay homage to the hat. Gesler commands that there should be dancing and singing to mark the century during which the empire has "deigned to sustain [Swiss] weakness", and a variety of dances and choruses follow. Soldiers have noticed Tell and his son in the crowd, refusing to pay homage to the hat, and drag him forward. Rodolphe recognises him as the man who assisted in Leuthold's escape, and Gesler orders his arrest. In a complex choir and quartet, the soldiers express their hesitation at arresting this famed archer (''C'est là cet archer redoutable'' – "It's that redoubtable archer"), Gesler forces them to act, and Tell urges Jemmy to flee, but he prefers to stay with his father.

Gesler notices the affection Tell has for his son, and has Jemmy seized. Inspired, he devises his test: Tell must shoot an arrow through an apple balanced on Jemmy's head – should he refuse, both of them will die. The assembled Swiss are horrified at this cruelty, but Jemmy urges his father to courage, and refuses to be tied up for the challenge. Resigned, Tell retrieves his bow from the soldiers, but takes two arrows from his quiver and hides one of them. He sings an anguished aria to Jemmy, instructing him (''Sois immobile'' – "Stay completely still"), and the two separate. Finally, Tell draws his bow, shoots, and drives the arrow through the apple and into the stake. The people acclaim his victory, and Gesler is enraged. Noticing the second arrow, he demands to know what Tell intended for it. Tell confesses his desire to kill Gesler with the second arrow, and both he and Jemmy are seized for execution.

Mathilde enters and claims Jemmy in the name of the emperor, refusing to let a child die (''Vous ne l'obtiendrez pas'' – "You will not have him"). Gesler announces his intention to take Tell across Lake Lucerne to the fort at Kusnac/Küssnacht, and there to throw him to the reptiles in the lake. Rodolphe expresses concern at attempting a journey on the lake in the storm, but Gesler intends to force Tell, an expert boatman, to pilot the vessel. They leave, amid conflicting cries of "Anathema on Gesler" from the people, and "Long live Gesler" from the soldiers.

===Act 4===
''Scene 1: Old Melchthal's house''
[[File:Gioachino Rossini - Guillaume Tell - Charles-Abraham Chasselat - dessin préparatoire à la gravure 1 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Tell pushes the boat back]]

Arnold, aware of Tell's arrest, is dispirited, but, set on revenge, draws strength from being in his father's former home and sings a moving lament (''Ne m'abandonne point, espoir de la vengeance... Asile héréditaire...'' – "Do not abandon me, hope of vengeance... Home of my forefathers"). Would-be [[Old Swiss Confederacy|"confederates"]] arrive, sharing and reinforcing his hope of vengeance. Revived, Arnold points them to the weapons cache that his father and Tell had prepared. Seeing the men armed, Arnold launches into a hugely demanding aria (''Amis, amis, secondez ma vengeance'' – "Friends, friends, assist my vengeance"), replete with multiple and sustained top Cs. Resolved, they leave to storm Altdorf and free Tell.

''Scene 2: The rocky shore of Lake Lucerne''

Hedwige is wandering by the lake, distraught. She tells the other women she intends to beg Gesler for Tell's life. In the distance, she hears Jemmy calling. Her son enters, along with Mathilde, whom Hedwige entreats for assistance. In some versions, Mathilde, Jemmy and Hedwige sing a moving trio (''Je rends a votre amour un fils digne de vous'' – "I return to your love a son worthy of you"). Jemmy tells his mother that Tell is no longer in Altdorf, but on the lake, at which point Hedwige begins precipitously to mourn (''Sauve Guillaume! Il meurt victime de son amour pour son pays'' – "Save William! He dies a victim of his love for his country"). Leuthold arrives, telling the assembled villagers that the boat carrying Tell, Gesler and the soldiers is being driven towards the rocks by a storm that has broken over the lake – Leuthold believes that the chains have been removed from Tell's hands, so that he might pilot the boat to safety.

The boat pulls into view, and Tell jumps ashore before pushing the boat back. He is amazed to see his house burning in the distance. Jemmy tells him that, for want of a beacon, he set fire to their home but, before doing so, he retrieved his father's bow and arrows. Gesler and the soldiers come into view, intent on recapturing Tell, who kills Gesler with a single shot and the cry, "Let Switzerland breathe!" Walter and a group of confederates arrive, having seen the burning house. Tell informs them of Gesler's death, but cautions that Altdorf still stands. Arnold and his band enter, and break the happy news: they have taken Altdorf. Arnold sees Mathilde, who declares herself "disabused of false grandeur" and ready to join the fight for liberty at his side.

The clouds break, and the sun shines on a pastoral scene of wild beauty. The gathered Swiss fighters and women sing a paean to the magnificence of nature and the return of freedom in a lyrical C major aria (''Tout change et grandit en ces lieux... Liberté, redescends des cieux'' – "Everything is changing and growing grander in this place... Liberty, descend again from heaven") as the ''ranz des vaches'' motif returns once again and finally.

==Noted excerpts==
[[File:Celestin Deshays - William Tell.jpg|thumb|The oath of three cantons]]
*Overture
*"Ah, Mathilde, je t'aime et je t'adore" (Arnold, act 1)
*"Sombre forêt" (Mathilde, act 2)
*"Oui, vous l'arrachez à mon âme" (Mathilde, Arnold, act 2)
*"Quand l'Helvétie est un champs de supplice... Ses jours qu'ils ont osé proscire... Embrasons-nous d'un saint délire" (Tell, Arnold, Walter, act 2)
*"Pour notre amour... Sur la rive étrangère" (Mathilde, act 3)
*"Sois immobile" (Tell, act 3)
*"Asile héréditaire... Amis, amis, secondez ma vengeance" (Arnold, act 4)

During the [[Crimean War]] John MacLeod transcribed "La tua danza sì leggiera", a chorus part in the third act, to create the tune "The Green Hills of Tyrol", a well-known retreat march in the Scottish bagpipe tradition. The musician [[Andy Stewart (musician)|Andy Stewart]] added lyrics and the song in 1961 became a hit under the name "[[A Scottish Soldier]]".

==Recordings==
{{main|William Tell discography}}

== In popular culture ==
Characters and scenes from the opera ''William Tell'' are recognisable on the court cards and aces of [[William Tell cards]], playing cards that were designed in Hungary around 1835. These cards spread across the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] and are still the most common [[German-suited playing cards]] in that part of the world today. Characters portrayed on the [[Ober (playing card)|Obers]] and [[Unter (playing card)|Unters]] include: [[Hermann Gessler]], [[Walter Fürst]], Rudolf Harras and William Tell.<ref>[https://i-p-c-s.org/pattern/tell-1.html ''Pattern Sheet 90 – Tell pattern Type I''] at i-p-c-s.org. Retrieved 29 November 2019.</ref>

==References==
'''Notes'''
{{Reflist}}
'''Sources'''
{{div col|colwidth=45em}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Casaglia|2005}}|reference={{Almanacco|dmy=03-08-1829|match=Guillaume Tell|label=Guillaume Tell, 3 August 1829}}}}
* {{cite book|author=Castil-Blaze|author-link=Castil-Blaze|year=1855|title=L'Académie impériale de musique: histoire littéraire, musicale, politique et galante de ce théâtre, de 1645 à 1855|volume=2|location=Paris|publisher=Castil-Blaze|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AcUwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA3}}
* {{cite book|last=Chouquet|first=Gustave|year=1889|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2FAoAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA214|chapter=Valentino, Henri Justin Armand Joseph|volume=4|page=214|title=[[A Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]|location=London|publisher=Macmillan}}
* {{Cite news|last1=Cooper|first1=Jeffrey|last2=Ellis|first2=Katharine|year=2001|title=Valentino, Henri Justin Armand Joseph}} in {{harvnb|Sadie|2001}}
* {{cite book|last1=Gossett|first1=Philip|author-link=Philip Gossett|last2=Brauner|first2=Patricia|year=2001|chapter=Gioachino Rossini|pages=765–796|title=The New Penguin Opera Guide|editor=Amanda Holden|editor-link=Amanda Holden (writer)|location=New York|publisher=Penguin Putnam|isbn=0-14-029312-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Kaminski|first=Piotr|year=2003|chapter=Gioacchino Rossini, ''Guillaume Tell''|title=Mille et Un Opéras|location=Paris|publisher=Fayard|isbn=978-2-213-60017-8}}
* {{cite book|last1=Kobbé|first1=Gustav|author-link1=Gustav Kobbé|last2=Lascelles|first2=George|author-link2=George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood|title=[[Kobbé's Complete Opera Book]]|publisher=Putnam|location=London and New York|orig-year=1954|year=1972|edition=9th|isbn=978-0-399-11044-3}}
* {{cite news|last=Macdonald|first=Hugh|author-link=Hugh Macdonald (musicologist)|year=2001|title=Habeneck, François-Antoine}} in {{harvnb|Sadie|2001}}
* {{cite book|last=Osborne|first=Charles|author-link=Charles Osborne (music writer)|year=1994|title=The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini|location=London; Portland, Oregon|publisher=Methuen; Amadeus Press|isbn=0-931340-71-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Osborne|first=Richard|year=2007|title=Rossini: His Life and Works|edition=2nd|location=Oxford|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-518129-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Pougin|first=Arthur|author-link=Arthur Pougin|year=1880|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vdsuAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA597|chapter=Valentino (Henri-Justin-Joseph)"|pages=597–598|title=Biographie universelle des musiciens et Bibliographie générale de la musique par [[F.-J. Fétis]]. Supplément et complément|volume=2|location=Paris|publisher=Firmin-Didot}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Sadie|editor-first=Stanley|editor-link=Stanley Sadie|year=2001|title=[[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]|edition=2nd|location=London|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-1-56159-239-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Tamvaco|first=Jean-Louis|year=2000|title=Les Cancans de l'Opéra. Chroniques de l'Académie Royale de Musique et du théâtre, à Paris sous les deux restorations|type=2 volumes|language=fr|location=Paris|publisher=CNRS Editions|isbn=978-2-271-05685-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Weinstock|first=Herbert|author-link=Herbert Weinstock|year=1968|edition=reprint 1987|title=Rossini: A Biography|location=New York|publisher=Knopf|isbn=978-0-87910-071-1}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Wolff|1962}}|reference=Wolff, Stéphane (1962; reprint 1983). ''L'Opéra au Palais Garnier (1875–1962)''. Paris: Deposé au journal L'Entr'acte {{OCLC|7068320|460748195}}. Paris: Slatkine (1983) {{ISBN|978-2-05-000214-2}}}}
{{div col end}}

==Further reading==
* Osborne, Richard (1990), ''Rossini'', Ithaca, New York: Northeastern University Press. {{ISBN|1-55553-088-5}}
* Osborne, Richard (1996), "''Guillaume Tell''", vol. 2, pp.&nbsp;573–576, in ''[[The New Grove Dictionary of Opera]]'', edited by [[Stanley Sadie]]. London: Macmillan. {{ISBN|0-333-73432-7}} {{ISBN|1-56159-228-5}}. Also [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/O002744 Oxford Music Online] (subscription required).
* Osborne, Richard (2004), "Rossini's Life", in Emanuele Senici (ed.) ''[[Cambridge Companions to Music|The Cambridge Companion to Rossini]]'', [[Cambridge University Press]]. {{ISBN|0-521-00195-1}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|William Tell (opera)}}
* {{IMSLP|work=Guillaume Tell (Rossini, Gioacchino) |cname=''Guillaume Tell''}}
* [http://opera.stanford.edu/Rossini/GuillaumeTell/livret.html Libretto of ''Guillaume Tell'' at Stanford OperaGlass (in French)]
* [http://opera.stanford.edu/Rossini/GuillaumeTell/libretto.html Libretto of ''Guglielmo Tell'' at Stanford OperaGlass (in Italian)]
*[http://www.murashev.com/opera/Guillaume_Tell_libretto_French_English Libretto of ''Guillaume Tell''], murashev.com (in French and English)]
* [https://opera-inside.com/guillaume-tell-by-gioacchino-rossini-the-opera-guide-and-synopsis/ Portrait of the opera in the Online opera guide www.opera-inside.com]
* [https://archive.org/details/wilhelmtellcompo00ross Wilhelm Tell], 1837 publication, German, digitized by [[Brigham Young University|BYU]] on archive.org
* [https://archive.org/details/wilhelmtell00ross Wilhelm Tell], Danish, digitized by [[Brigham Young University|BYU]] on archive.org

{{Gioachino Rossini}}
{{William Tell}}
{{Portal bar|Opera}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Operas based on works by Friedrich Schiller]]
[[Category:Operas by Gioachino Rossini]]
[[Category:French-language operas]]
[[Category:Grand operas]]
[[Category:1829 operas]]
[[Category:Operas set in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Operas based on plays]]
[[Category:Operas set in the 13th century]]
[[Category:Operas]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of William Tell]]
[[Category:Opera world premieres at the Paris Opera]]
[[Category:Music based on European myths and legends]]