Although everybody knows its overture, Rossini's Guillaume Tell (William Tell) has been performed much less often than many of Rossini's other operas. The reasons for this reach back into the musico-political world of the 19th century, but in any era have included the opera's difficulty for the singers as well as its extreme length. The composer himself was aware of the latter issue and consented to cuts in performances subsequent to the premiere, as well as to a new three-act version for which he wrote a second finale. ...
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Although everybody knows its overture, Rossini's Guillaume Tell (William Tell) has been performed much less often than many of Rossini's other operas. The reasons for this reach back into the musico-political world of the 19th century, but in any era have included the opera's difficulty for the singers as well as its extreme length. The composer himself was aware of the latter issue and consented to cuts in performances subsequent to the premiere, as well as to a new three-act version for which he wrote a second finale. This latter finale, included here as a supplement along with a couple of alternative dance numbers, was Rossini's very last operatic composition. But the purported main attraction of this is the "first recording of the complete opera," as it was heard in Paris at its 1829 premiere. That may well be of interest to serious Rossini fans, but general listeners might be equally satisfied with the somewhat shorter versions out there. The best thing about this performance, recorded live over...
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