William Tell by Gioachino Rossini

From a Banned Writer to a Banned Singer



William Tell by Gioachino Rossini

Ulysses frequently mentions Rossini's Stabat Mater [youtube-6min]
eg u079 "Stabat Mater of Rossini"

bw01: "He strides, booted with anger, along the spurs of Monte Rossini"

bw08: "And how confederate of gay old Gioacchino to have composed this finale so that Kamerad Wagner might be saved the annoyance of finding flauts for his Feuerzauber!"


Characters


Guillaume Tell - baritone

bw08: "11.59 p.m. Durch diese hohle Gasse muss er kommen Guillaume's shot telled, sure enough. But will that labour member for Melckthal be able to bring off his coo for the odd and twentieth supererogatory time?"

fw154 "But I will never be abler to tell Your Honoriousness"

fw459 "O the wicked untruth! whot a tell!"


Hedwige, his wife - mezzo-soprano


Jemmy, his son - soprano

bw08: "Aim well, Arnold, and mind puur blind Jemmy in the stalls!"

?fw92 "Gentia Gemma of the Makegiddyculling Reeks"


fw498 "Catchering, his fain awan, and his gemmynosed sanctsons"


Mathilde, a Habsburg princess - soprano


Arnold Melchtal - tenor

this was John O'Sullivan's showpiece role, demanding his 'chest C'
cf fw048 "Chest Cee!"

bw08: "Aim well, Arnold, and mind puur blind Jemmy in the stalls!"

bw08: "11.59 p.m. Durch diese hohle Gasse muss er kommen Guillaume's shot telled, sure enough. But will that labour member for Melckthal be able to bring off his coo for the odd and twentieth supererogatory time?"

?fw443 "Rollo the Gunger, son of a wants a flurewaltzer to Arnolff's, picking up ideas"




act four:







Melchtal, his father - bass


Gesler, the Austrian Governor of the cantons of Uri and Schwyz - bass

?fw233 "He is guessing at hers for all he is worse"


Walter Furst - bass


Ruodi, a fisherman - tenor


Leuthold, a shepherd - bass


Rodolphe, Captain of Gesler's guard - tenor


A hunter - baritone


Peasants, shepherds, knights, pages, ladies, soldiers


Place: Austrian-occupied Switzerland


Time: 13th century


OVERTURE

12min, toy-soldier shtick (lone ranger theme at end)




at
is the recognisable ranz des vaches [wiki] motif


playful abstract animation