An Epic Opera

Rossini's 'William Tell',
from Rome to the BBC Proms,
by GIUSEPPE PENNISI

On 16 October 2010, at the 2,800 seat Santa Cecilia Auditorium in Rome, Antonio Pappano unveiled a new production of Rossini's Guillaume Tell in a concert version without sets, costumes or corps de ballet. The production will travel to the BBC Proms in London and will be recorded by EMI. It is a nearly complete version of the opera because Pappano has re-introduced much of the music from the 'traditional cuts' -- the only significant cut remaining is the long third act ballet. The forthcoming EMI recording will most likely become a 'reference edition', taking the place of the 1973 production conducted by Lamberto Gardelli, one of the rare recordings of the French philological or nearly philological version. For decades, Guillaume Tell had become Guglielmo Tell, in Italian, in the 'Calisto Bassi version', also frequently performed, in German translation, in German Theatres...

GIOACCHINO ROSSINI

ANTONIO PAPPANO

ROME

ITALY

GERALD FINLEY