GIOACHINO ROSSINI GUILLAUME TELL JOHN OSBORN ∙ GERALD FINLEY ALEXANDER VINOGRADOV ∙ MALIN BYSTRÖM ORCHESTRA OF THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE CONDUCTED BY ANTONIO PAPPANO STAGED BY DAMIANO MICHIELETTO GIOACHINO ROSSINI GUILLAUME TELL Conductor Antonio Pappano Italian rising star Damiano Michieletto makes his Royal Opera Orchestra Orchestra of the debut with a contemporary production of Guillaume Tell, Rossini’s Royal Opera House final opera and greatest masterpiece. Chorus Royal Opera Chorus Stage Director Damiano Michieletto The opera is based on Friedrich Schiller’s same-named play. The Swiss hero William Tell longs to liberate his people from the cruel Arnold Melcthal John Osborn Austrian occupation. When he helps a Swiss prisoner escape Guillaume Tell Gerald Finley Austrian justice he comes to the attention of the governor Walter Furst Alexander Vinogradov Gesler – who sadistically forces Tell to shoot an apple off his Mathilde Malin Byström son’s head. As Tell is arrested his fellow revolutionaries, led by Melcthal Eric Halfvarson the young patriot Arnold and his Austrian lover Mathilde, gather Gesler Nicolas Courjal forces to fight for Swiss liberty. Tell escapes in time to lead the Rodolphe Michael Colvin victorious uprising. Leuthold Samuel Dale Johnson Ruodi Enea Scala Guillaume Tell had its premiere in 1829, when Gioachino Rossini Hedwige Enkelejda Shkosa was 37. He wouldn’t write another opera in the remaining 39 Jemmy Sofia Fomina years of his life. Rossini’s letters suggest he knew Guillaume A Huntsman Michael Lessiter Tell would be his farewell to opera – an idea that seems to be confirmed by the magnificent music he was inspired to produce. Video Director Jonathan Haswell The score – harmonically daring and fiercely difficult for the singers – has an opulent architectural grandeur, heightened with Length: approx. 245' vivid evocations of the soaring Swiss landscape and an incisive Shot in HDTV 1080/50i dramatic interpretation of Schiller’s heroic play. Cat. no. A 020 50076 A production of Royal Opera House, Covent Garden World Sales: All rights reserved · credits not contractual · Different territories · Photos: © Clive Barda · Flyer: luebbeke.com Tel. +49.30.30306464 [email protected] Unitel GmbH & Co. KG, Germany · Tel. +49.89.673469-630 · [email protected] www.unitelclassica.com.