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			{{Short description\|Overture to the opera William Tell}}
	{{DISPLAYTITLE:''William Tell'' Overture}}		{{DISPLAYTITLE:''William Tell'' Overture}}
		⚫	{{listen image
⚫	]
			\|main_image = Gioachino Rossini, 1828, by Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot.jpg
		⚫	\|main_image_caption = Rossini painted by ] in 1828, the year he began composing ''William Tell''
			\|type=music
		⚫	\|filename=Gioachino_Rossini,_William_Tell_Overture_(military_band_version,_2000).ogg
		⚫	\|title=''William Tell'' Overture
			\|description=A recording of the “William Tell Overture”
		⚫	}}

	The '''''William Tell'' Overture''' is the ] to the ] '']'' (original French title ''Guillaume Tell''), whose music was composed by ]. ''William Tell'' premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, after which he went into semi-retirement (he continued to compose cantatas, sacred music and secular vocal music). The overture is in four parts, each following without pause.		The '''''William Tell'' Overture''' is the ] to the ] '']'' (original French title ''Guillaume Tell''), whose music was composed by ]. ''William Tell'' premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, after which he went into semi-retirement (he continued to compose cantatas, sacred music and secular vocal music). The overture is in four parts, each following without pause.

	There has been repeated use (and sometimes parody) of parts of this overture in both classical music and popular media, ~~most~~ ~~famously as~~ the ] for '']'' in radio, television and film.<ref>Studwell, William Emmett (1997). . Routledge, pp. 90–91. {{ISBN\|0-7890-0150-0}}</ref> Two different parts were also used, as theme music for the British television series '']'', the fourth part (popularly identified in the ~~USA~~ with ''The Lone Ranger'') in the UK, and the third part, rearranged as a stirring march, in the US.		There has been repeated use (and sometimes parody) of parts of this overture in both classical music and popular media. It was the ] for '']'' in radio, television and film,<ref>] (1997). . Routledge, pp. 90–91. {{ISBN\|0-7890-0150-0}}</ref> and has become widely associated with ] since then. Two different parts were also used as theme music for the British television series '']'', the fourth part (popularly identified in the US with ''The Lone Ranger'') in the UK, and the third part, rearranged as a stirring march, in the US.

	] prepared a ] transcription of the overture in 1838 (S.552) which became a staple of his concert repertoire.<ref>Hamilton, Kenneth (2005). . Cambridge University Press, p. 82. {{ISBN\|0-521-62204-2}}</ref> There are also transcriptions by other composers, including versions by ] for two and four pianos and a duet for piano and violin.<ref>Starr, S. Frederick (2000). . University of Illinois Press, pp. 84 ~~and~~ 180. {{ISBN\|0-252-06876-9}}</ref>		] prepared a ] transcription of the overture in 1838 (S.552) which became a staple of his concert repertoire.<ref>] (2005). . Cambridge University Press, p. 82. {{ISBN\|0-521-62204-2}}</ref> There are also transcriptions by other composers, including versions by ] for two and four pianos and a duet for piano and violin.<ref>] (2000). . University of Illinois Press, pp. 84, 180. {{ISBN\|0-252-06876-9}}</ref>

	==Instrumentation==		==Instrumentation==
	The overture is scored for: a ], a ], two ]s (first or second oboe doubles a ]), two ]s in A, two ]s, four ]s in G and E, two ]s in E, three ]s, ], ], ] and ]s, and ].		The overture is scored for: a ], a ], two ]s (first or second oboe doubles a ]), two ]s in A, two ]s, four ]s in G and E, two ]s in E, three ]s, ], ], ] and ]s, and ].

	==Structure==		==Structure==
	The overture, which lasts for approximately 12 minutes, paints a musical picture of life in the ], the setting of the opera.<ref name = "MandR">Kinscella, Hazel Gertrude (1941/2005). . Kessinger Publishing, pp. 389–390. {{ISBN\|1-4179-9594-7}}.</ref> It was described by ], who usually loathed Rossini's works, as "a symphony in four parts."<ref>Rous, Samuel Holland (1921). 6th ~~Edition~~. Victor Talking Machine Company, p. 426.</ref> But unlike an actual ] with its distinct ]s, the overture's parts transition from one to the next without a break.		The overture, which lasts for approximately 12 minutes, paints a musical picture of life in the ], the setting of the opera.<ref name = "MandR">Kinscella, Hazel Gertrude (1941/2005). . Kessinger Publishing, pp. 389–390. {{ISBN\|1-4179-9594-7}}.</ref> It was described by ], who usually loathed Rossini's works, as "a symphony in four parts".<ref>] (1921). 6th edition. Victor Talking Machine Company, p. 426.</ref> But unlike an actual ] with its distinct ]s, the overture's parts transition from one to the next without a break.

	'''Prelude: Dawn'''		'''1. Prelude: Dawn'''

	The ] is a slow ~~passage~~ in ], scored for five solo ]s accompanied by ]es. It begins in ] with a solo cello which is in turn 'answered' by the remaining cellos and the double basses. An impending storm is hinted at by two very quiet timpani rolls resembling distant thunder. The section ends with a very high sustained note played by the first cello.<ref name = "Rudel">Rudel, Anthony J. (1995). in ''Classical Music Top 40.'' Simon and Schuster, pp. 271–276. {{ISBN\|0-671-79495-7}}.</ref> ~~Its~~ duration is about three minutes.		The ] is a slow section in ] and in an A-B-A-Coda structure, scored for five solo ]s accompanied by ]es. It begins in ] with a solo cello which is in turn 'answered' by the remaining cellos and the double basses. An impending storm is hinted at by two very quiet timpani rolls (1st on E, 2nd on B) resembling distant thunder. The section ends with a very high sustained note played by the first cello.<ref name = "Rudel">Rudel, Anthony J. (1995). in ''Classical Music Top 40.'' Simon and Schuster, pp. 271–276. {{ISBN\|0-671-79495-7}}.</ref> The duration of the prelude is about three minutes.

	'''Storm'''		'''2. Storm'''

	This dynamic section in E minor is played by the full orchestra. It begins with the ]s and ]s. Their phrases are punctuated by short wind instrument interventions of three notes each, first by the ], ] and ]s, then by the ]s and ]s. The storm breaks out in full with the entrance of the ]s, ]s, ]s, and ]. The volume and number of instruments gradually decreases as the storm subsides. The section ends with the flute playing alone.<ref name = "Rudel" /> It also lasts for about three minutes.		This dynamic section in E minor and in an A-B-A structure, is played by the full orchestra. It begins with the ]s and ]s. Their phrases are punctuated by short wind instrument interventions of three notes each, first by the ], ] and ]s, then by the ]s and ]s. The storm breaks out in full with the entrance of the ]s, ]s, ]s, and ]. The volume and number of instruments gradually decreases as the storm subsides. The section ends with the flute playing alone.<ref name = "Rudel" /> Part 2, Storm, also lasts for about three minutes.

	'''''{{Lang\|fr\|Ranz des vaches}}'''''		'''''3. {{Lang\|fr\|Ranz des vaches}}'''''

	This ] section in ] signifying the calm after the storm begins with a '']'' or "Call to the Cows", featuring the ]. The English horn then plays in alternating phrases with the flute, culminating in a duet with the triangle accompanying them in the background.<ref name = "Rudel" /> The melody appears several times in the opera, including the final act, and takes on the character of a ].<ref>] and Macy, Laura eds. (2006). , p. 271. Oxford University Press.</ref> ~~Its~~ ~~duration~~ is a little more than two minutes.		This ] section in ] and in an A-B-A-Coda form, signifying the calm after the storm, begins with a '']'' or "Call to the Cows", featuring the ]. The English horn then plays in alternating phrases with the flute, culminating in a duet with the triangle accompanying them in the background.<ref name = "Rudel" /> The melody appears several times in the opera, including the final act, and takes on the character of a ].<ref>] and Macy, Laura eds. (2006). , p. 271. Oxford University Press.</ref> Call to the Cows lasts a little more than two minutes.

	This segment is often used in ]s to signify daybreak, most notably in ]'s ''].''<ref></ref>		This segment is often used in ]s to signify daybreak or bucolic beauty, most notably in ]'s '']''<ref></ref> and Marv Newland's '']'', which uses the tune as its main musical score before Godzilla stomps on Bambi.

	'''Finale: March of the Swiss Soldiers'''		'''4. Finale: March of the Swiss Soldiers'''

	The finale, often called the "March of the Swiss Soldiers" in English, is in E major like the prelude, but it is an ultra-dynamic ] heralded by trumpets and played by the full orchestra. It alludes to the final act, which recounts the Swiss soldiers's victorious battle to liberate their homeland from Austrian repression. The segment lasts for about three minutes.		The finale, often called the "March of the Swiss Soldiers" in English,<ref>, ]</ref> is in E major like the prelude, but it is an ultra-dynamic ] heralded by trumpets and played by the full orchestra. It alludes to the final act, which recounts the Swiss soldiers' victorious battle to liberate their homeland from Austrian repression. The segment, in an Intro-A-B-A-Coda form, lasts for about three minutes.

	Although there are no horses or cavalry charges in the opera, this segment is often used in popular media to denote galloping horses, a race, or a hero riding to the rescue. Its most famous use in that respect is as the theme music for '']''; that usage has become so famous that ~~the~~ ~~term~~ "intellectual" ~~has been defined~~ as "a man who can listen to the ''William Tell'' Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger."<ref>The quote has been attributed to Jack Guin writing in '']'' in 1962. ( (1962), ~~Volume~~ 14, p. 107.) Variations of the quote have also been attributed to ], as E. Gene Davis cited in 2007 in , (p. 329), for Trafford Publishing, and ] on ] News, 23 March 2013, in )</ref> The Finale is quoted by ] in his ''William Tell Galop'' (Op. 29b), published and premiered a matter of months after the Paris premiere of the original,<ref>{{cite web\|~~author1~~=Franz Mailer\|author2=(English version by Keith Anderson)\|title=Album Notes for Johann Strauss I: Edition – Vol. 3\|url=https://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.225253&catNum=225253&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English\|publisher=Naxos Records\|~~accessdate~~=1 January 2018\|language=English\|date=2003}}</ref> and by ] in the first movement of his ].<ref>Greetham, David, 2010. Indiana University Press, p. 2. {{ISBN\|0-253-22216-8}}.</ref>		Although there are no horses or cavalry charges in the opera, this segment is often used in popular media to denote galloping horses, a race, or a hero riding to the rescue. Its most famous use in that respect is as the theme music for '']''; that usage has become so famous that some notable writers have defined an "intellectual" as "a man who can listen to the ''William Tell'' Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger".<ref>The quote has been attributed to Jack Guin writing in '']'' in 1962. ( (1962), vol. 14, p. 107.) Variations of the quote have also been attributed to ], as E. Gene Davis cited in 2007 in , (p. 329), for Trafford Publishing, and ] on ], 23 March 2013, in .</ref> The Finale is quoted by ] in his ''William Tell Galop'' (Op. 29b), published and premiered a matter of months after the Paris premiere of the original,<ref>{{cite web\|first1=Franz\|last1=Mailer\|author2=(English version by Keith Anderson)\|title=Album Notes for Johann Strauss I: Edition – Vol. 3\|url=https://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.225253&catNum=225253&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English\|publisher=Naxos Records\|access-date=1 January 2018\|language=English\|date=2003\|archive-date=15 February 2021\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215112809/https://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.225253&catNum=225253&filetype=About%20this%20Recording&language=English\|url-status=dead}}</ref> and by ] in the first movement of his ].<ref>Greetham, David, 2010. Indiana University Press, p. 2. {{ISBN\|0-253-22216-8}}.</ref>

	==Cultural references==		==Cultural references==
⚫	{{listen~~\|type=music~~
⚫	\|filename=Gioachino_Rossini,_William_Tell_Overture_(military_band_version,_2000).ogg
⚫	\|title=''William Tell'' Overture
	\|description=The ] performs a ] transcription
⚫	}}
	<!-- please do not add an item to this section unless its use of this music is significant enough to have been written about and you provide an inline citation from a reliable, published source to establish this. All unreferenced trivia will be removed.-->		<!-- please do not add an item to this section unless its use of this music is significant enough to have been written about and you provide an inline citation from a reliable, published source to establish this. All unreferenced trivia will be removed.-->

	Described by David Wondrich as a "frequent target of plunder by ]s in the years during which they dominated the American musical landscape", the overture features prominently in Walt Disney's ] cartoon '']''.<ref>Wondrich, David (2002). "I love to hear a minstrel band: Walt Disney's ''The Band Concert''" in (edited by Daniel ~~Goldmarkand~~ Yuval Taylor), pp. 67–72. Chicago Review Press. {{ISBN\|1-55652-473-0}}</ref> It has also been used in cartoons parodying classical music (e.g. '']'' in which the overture's finale is performed by ] and ]) or ]s (e.g. '']'').<ref>Goldmark, Daniel (2005). . University of California Press, p. 39. {{ISBN\|0-520-23617-3}}</ref> The finale has also been sung with specially written lyrics by Daffy Duck in '']'' <ref>Friedwald, Will and Beck, Jerry (1981). ''The Warner Brothers Cartoons'', p. 101. Scarecrow Press~~</ref> and by a quartet of singing policemen (as "Happy Anniversary") in '']'' episode "The Hot Piano".<ref>Erickson, Hal. . ]~~</ref>		Described by David Wondrich as a "frequent target of plunder by ]s in the years during which they dominated the American musical landscape", the overture features prominently in Walt Disney's ] cartoon '']''.<ref>Wondrich, David (2002). "I love to hear a minstrel band: Walt Disney's ''The Band Concert''" in (edited by Daniel Goldmark and Yuval Taylor), pp. 67–72. Chicago Review Press. {{ISBN\|1-55652-473-0}}</ref> It has also been used in cartoons parodying classical music (e.g. '']'' in which the overture's finale is performed by ] and ]) or ]s (e.g. '']'').<ref>Goldmark, Daniel (2005). . University of California Press, p. 39. {{ISBN\|0-520-23617-3}}</ref> The finale has also been sung with specially written lyrics by Daffy Duck in '']''. <ref>Friedwald, Will and Beck, Jerry (1981). ''The Warner Brothers Cartoons'', p. 101. Scarecrow Press</ref>

	One of the most frequently used pieces of classical music in American advertising, the overture (especially its finale) appears in numerous ads,<ref>Twitchell, James B. (1996). . Columbia University Press, p. 27. {{ISBN\|0-231-10324-7}}.</ref> with psychologist Joan Meyers-Levy suggesting that it is particularly suitable for those targeting male consumers.<ref>Meyers-Levy, Joan (1993). "Gender Differences in Cortical Organization: Social and Biochemical Antecedents and Advertising Consequences" in (edited by E. Clark, T. Brock, and D. Stewart). Routledge, p. 117. {{ISBN\|0-8058-0756-X}}</ref> It was used in a ] version by ] to accompany the 2001 "Defy Convention" advertisement campaign for ] athletic shoes and in an electronic version for a 2008 ] campaign.<ref>Hickey, Lisa (2002). . Rockport Publishers, p. 145. {{ISBN\|1-56496-663-1}}</ref><ref>~~Alana~~ Semuels, Alana (October 13, 2008). . '']''</ref> ] created a famous commercial for ]'s ] built around the association of the Finale in the public mind with the Lone Ranger. At the time, ] was using the theme in a campaign called "Show us your Lark pack!"<ref>{{YouTube\|nQKBMdkWc9E\|Lark.wmv}}</ref> and the Jeno's ad parodied this as well.<ref>{{YouTube\|gEfx9epJKEg\|Famous Pizza Roll Commercial – from the 1960s!!}}</ref>		One of the most frequently used pieces of classical music in American advertising, the overture (especially its finale) appears in numerous ads,<ref>Twitchell, James B. (1996). . Columbia University Press, p. 27. {{ISBN\|0-231-10324-7}}.</ref> with psychologist Joan Meyers-Levy suggesting that it is particularly suitable for those targeting male consumers.<ref>Meyers-Levy, Joan (1993). "Gender Differences in Cortical Organization: Social and Biochemical Antecedents and Advertising Consequences" in (edited by E. Clark, T. Brock, and D. Stewart). Routledge, p. 117. {{ISBN\|0-8058-0756-X}}</ref> It was used in a ] version by ] to accompany the 2001 "Defy Convention" advertisement campaign for ] athletic shoes and in an electronic version for a 2008 ] campaign.<ref>Hickey, Lisa (2002). . Rockport Publishers, p. 145. {{ISBN\|1-56496-663-1}}</ref><ref>Semuels, Alana (October 13, 2008). . '']''</ref>

	Amongst the films which feature the overture prominently is Stanley Kubrick's '']'', where an electronic rearrangement by ] of the finale is played during a fast motion orgy scene. The less frequently heard introductory portion of the overture is used as somber mood music later in the film.<ref>Rasmussen, Randy (2005). , p. 157. McFarland</ref> The ~~opening~~ ~~phrase~~ ~~of the Finale was~~ used in '']'' when ~~Security~~ ~~Chief~~ ~~Joe~~ ~~rescued~~ Mia ~~Thermopolis~~ ~~after~~ ~~her~~ ~~Mustang stalled out~~ in a ~~driving~~ ~~rainstorm.<ref>{{IMDb~~ ~~title\|tt0247638\|~~The Princess Diaries\|(~~2001~~)~~}}</ref>~~		Amongst the films which feature the overture prominently is Stanley Kubrick's '']'', where an electronic rearrangement by ] of the finale is played during a fast motion orgy scene. The less frequently heard introductory portion of the overture is used as somber mood music later in the film.<ref>Rasmussen, Randy (2005). , p. 157. McFarland</ref> The piece is also used in the film '']'' (when Joe’s limo arrives to rescue Mia when she is stranded in the rain) and ] (when Nicholas sets out to stop Mia’s wedding on an old bicycle and later on horseback.)

	The overture, especially its finale, also features in several sporting events. It has been used by the ] for many years.<ref>Anthony, Ted (15 June 1997). . ]. Retrieved 11 February 2013.</ref> During the third television time-out of every second half at ] basketball games, the Indiana pep band and cheerleading squad perform the overture with cheerleaders racing around the court carrying eighteen flags. Indiana public address announcer Chuck Crabb said the tradition began in about 1979 or 1980.<ref name="stories">{{cite book\|last=Laskowski\|first=John\|title=Tales from the Indiana Hoosiers Locker Room\|year=2012\|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing Inc}}</ref> Sportscaster ] called it "the greatest college timeout in the country."<ref name="stories" />		The overture, especially its finale, also features in several sporting events. It has been used by the ] for many years.<ref>Anthony, Ted (15 June 1997). . ]. Retrieved 11 February 2013.</ref> During the third television time-out of every second half at ] basketball games, the Indiana pep band and cheerleading squad perform the overture with cheerleaders racing around the court carrying eighteen flags. Indiana public address announcer Chuck Crabb said the tradition began in about 1979 or 1980.<ref name="stories">{{cite book\|last=Laskowski\|first=John\|title=Tales from the Indiana Hoosiers Locker Room\|year=2012\|publisher=Skyhorse Publishing Inc}}</ref> Sportscaster ] called it "the greatest college timeout in the country".<ref name="stories" />

	==See also==		==See also==
	{{Portal\|Classical music}}		{{Portal\|Classical music\|Opera}}
	*]		*]
	*]		*]
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	==Further reading==		==Further reading==
	* ~~Kirby,~~ Percival R. (1952~~). , ''~~]~~'', Vol.~~ 33~~, No~~. 2 ~~(April 1952), pp. 132–140~~ {{subscription}}		* {{cite journal\|last=Kirby\|first=Percival R.\|date=April 1952\|jstor=730802\|title=Rossini's Overture to ''William Tell''\|journal=]\|volume=33\|number=2\|pages=132–140\|doi=10.1093/ml/XXXIII.2.132 \|ref=none}} {{subscription required}}

	==External links==		==External links==
	*{{IMSLP\|work=Guillaume_Tell_(Rossini,_Gioacchino)\|cname=''William Tell'' Overture}}, including Rossini's original score and variations and transcriptions by ], ], and ].		*{{IMSLP\|work=Guillaume_Tell_(Rossini,_Gioacchino)\|cname=''William Tell'' Overture}}, including Rossini's original score and variations and transcriptions by ], ], and ].
	*{{YouTube\|7uPuXoDHSM4\|William Tell Overture}}, ], ]		*{{YouTube\|7uPuXoDHSM4\|''William Tell'' Overture}}, ], ]
	*{{YouTube\|D5LVM_lIXqY\|Animated score\|link=no}}, ], ]		*{{YouTube\|D5LVM_lIXqY\|Animated score\|link=no}}, ], ]

	{{William Tell}}		{{William Tell}}
			{{Gioachino Rossini}}
	{{The Lone Ranger}}		{{The Lone Ranger}}
			{{Authority control}}

	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
			]
	]		]
	]		]
			]
	]		]

Latest revision as of 22:27, 26 December 2024

Overture to the opera William Tell

Rossini painted by Hortense Haudebourt-Lescot in 1828, the year he began composing William Tell
William Tell Overture A recording of the “William Tell Overture” Problems playing this file? See media help.

The William Tell Overture is the overture to the opera William Tell (original French title Guillaume Tell), whose music was composed by Gioachino Rossini. William Tell premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, after which he went into semi-retirement (he continued to compose cantatas, sacred music and secular vocal music). The overture is in four parts, each following without pause.

There has been repeated use (and sometimes parody) of parts of this overture in both classical music and popular media. It was the theme music for The Lone Ranger in radio, television and film, and has become widely associated with horseback riding since then. Two different parts were also used as theme music for the British television series The Adventures of William Tell, the fourth part (popularly identified in the US with The Lone Ranger) in the UK, and the third part, rearranged as a stirring march, in the US.

Franz Liszt prepared a piano transcription of the overture in 1838 (S.552) which became a staple of his concert repertoire. There are also transcriptions by other composers, including versions by Louis Gottschalk for two and four pianos and a duet for piano and violin.

Instrumentation

The overture is scored for: a piccolo, a flute, two oboes (first or second oboe doubles a cor anglais), two clarinets in A, two bassoons, four natural horns in G and E, two trumpets in E, three trombones, timpani, triangle, bass drum and cymbals, and strings.

Structure

The overture, which lasts for approximately 12 minutes, paints a musical picture of life in the Swiss Alps, the setting of the opera. It was described by Hector Berlioz, who usually loathed Rossini's works, as "a symphony in four parts". But unlike an actual symphony with its distinct movements, the overture's parts transition from one to the next without a break.

1. Prelude: Dawn

The prelude is a slow section in E major and in an A-B-A-Coda structure, scored for five solo cellos accompanied by double basses. It begins in E minor with a solo cello which is in turn 'answered' by the remaining cellos and the double basses. An impending storm is hinted at by two very quiet timpani rolls (1st on E, 2nd on B) resembling distant thunder. The section ends with a very high sustained note played by the first cello. The duration of the prelude is about three minutes.

2. Storm

This dynamic section in E minor and in an A-B-A structure, is played by the full orchestra. It begins with the violins and violas. Their phrases are punctuated by short wind instrument interventions of three notes each, first by the piccolo, flute and oboes, then by the clarinets and bassoons. The storm breaks out in full with the entrance of the French horns, trumpets, trombones, and bass drum. The volume and number of instruments gradually decreases as the storm subsides. The section ends with the flute playing alone. Part 2, Storm, also lasts for about three minutes.

3. Ranz des vaches

This pastorale section in G major and in an A-B-A-Coda form, signifying the calm after the storm, begins with a Ranz des vaches or "Call to the Cows", featuring the cor anglais (English horn). The English horn then plays in alternating phrases with the flute, culminating in a duet with the triangle accompanying them in the background. The melody appears several times in the opera, including the final act, and takes on the character of a leitmotif. Call to the Cows lasts a little more than two minutes.

This segment is often used in animated cartoons to signify daybreak or bucolic beauty, most notably in Walt Disney's The Old Mill and Marv Newland's Bambi Meets Godzilla, which uses the tune as its main musical score before Godzilla stomps on Bambi.

4. Finale: March of the Swiss Soldiers

The finale, often called the "March of the Swiss Soldiers" in English, is in E major like the prelude, but it is an ultra-dynamic galop heralded by trumpets and played by the full orchestra. It alludes to the final act, which recounts the Swiss soldiers' victorious battle to liberate their homeland from Austrian repression. The segment, in an Intro-A-B-A-Coda form, lasts for about three minutes.

Although there are no horses or cavalry charges in the opera, this segment is often used in popular media to denote galloping horses, a race, or a hero riding to the rescue. Its most famous use in that respect is as the theme music for The Lone Ranger; that usage has become so famous that some notable writers have defined an "intellectual" as "a man who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger". The Finale is quoted by Johann Strauss Sr. in his William Tell Galop (Op. 29b), published and premiered a matter of months after the Paris premiere of the original, and by Dmitri Shostakovich in the first movement of his Symphony No. 15.

Cultural references

Described by David Wondrich as a "frequent target of plunder by brass bands in the years during which they dominated the American musical landscape", the overture features prominently in Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon The Band Concert. It has also been used in cartoons parodying classical music (e.g. Bugs Bunny's Overtures to Disaster in which the overture's finale is performed by Daffy Duck and Porky Pig) or Westerns (e.g. Bugs Bunny Rides Again). The finale has also been sung with specially written lyrics by Daffy Duck in Yankee Doodle Daffy.

One of the most frequently used pieces of classical music in American advertising, the overture (especially its finale) appears in numerous ads, with psychologist Joan Meyers-Levy suggesting that it is particularly suitable for those targeting male consumers. It was used in a hip-hop version by DJ Shadow to accompany the 2001 "Defy Convention" advertisement campaign for Reebok athletic shoes and in an electronic version for a 2008 Honda Civic campaign.

Amongst the films which feature the overture prominently is Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, where an electronic rearrangement by Wendy Carlos of the finale is played during a fast motion orgy scene. The less frequently heard introductory portion of the overture is used as somber mood music later in the film. The piece is also used in the film The Princess Diaries (when Joe’s limo arrives to rescue Mia when she is stranded in the rain) and its sequel (when Nicholas sets out to stop Mia’s wedding on an old bicycle and later on horseback.)

The overture, especially its finale, also features in several sporting events. It has been used by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for many years. During the third television time-out of every second half at Indiana University basketball games, the Indiana pep band and cheerleading squad perform the overture with cheerleaders racing around the court carrying eighteen flags. Indiana public address announcer Chuck Crabb said the tradition began in about 1979 or 1980. Sportscaster Billy Packer called it "the greatest college timeout in the country".

References

Studwell, William Emmett (1997). The Americana Song Reader. Routledge, pp. 90–91. ISBN 0-7890-0150-0
Hamilton, Kenneth (2005). The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. Cambridge University Press, p. 82. ISBN 0-521-62204-2
Starr, S. Frederick (2000). Louis Moreau Gottschalk. University of Illinois Press, pp. 84, 180. ISBN 0-252-06876-9
Kinscella, Hazel Gertrude (1941/2005). Music and Romance. Kessinger Publishing, pp. 389–390. ISBN 1-4179-9594-7.
Rous, Samuel Holland (1921). The Victrola Book of the Opera 6th edition. Victor Talking Machine Company, p. 426.
^ Rudel, Anthony J. (1995). "William Tell Overture" in Classical Music Top 40. Simon and Schuster, pp. 271–276. ISBN 0-671-79495-7.
Sadie, Stanley and Macy, Laura eds. (2006). The Grove Book of Operas, p. 271. Oxford University Press.
Stories Behind the Greatest Classical Compositions
"Gioachino Rossini: William Tell", Classic FM (UK)
The quote has been attributed to Jack Guin writing in The Denver Post in 1962. (Brooklyn Barrister (1962), vol. 14, p. 107.) Variations of the quote have also been attributed to Dan Rather, as E. Gene Davis cited in 2007 in Get 'Em Laughing, (p. 329), for Trafford Publishing, and David Frost on BBC News, 23 March 2013, in "A Point of View: Hi-yo, silver screen".
Mailer, Franz; (English version by Keith Anderson) (2003). "Album Notes for Johann Strauss I: Edition – Vol. 3". Naxos Records. Archived from the original on 15 February 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
Greetham, David, 2010. The Pleasures of Contamination: Evidence, Text, and Voice in Textual Studies. Indiana University Press, p. 2. ISBN 0-253-22216-8.
Wondrich, David (2002). "I love to hear a minstrel band: Walt Disney's The Band Concert" in The Cartoon Music Book (edited by Daniel Goldmark and Yuval Taylor), pp. 67–72. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 1-55652-473-0
Goldmark, Daniel (2005). Tunes for 'toons: music and the Hollywood cartoon. University of California Press, p. 39. ISBN 0-520-23617-3
Friedwald, Will and Beck, Jerry (1981). The Warner Brothers Cartoons, p. 101. Scarecrow Press
Twitchell, James B. (1996). Adcult USA: The triumph of advertising in American culture. Columbia University Press, p. 27. ISBN 0-231-10324-7.
Meyers-Levy, Joan (1993). "Gender Differences in Cortical Organization: Social and Biochemical Antecedents and Advertising Consequences" in Attention, Attitude, and Affect in Response to Advertising (edited by E. Clark, T. Brock, and D. Stewart). Routledge, p. 117. ISBN 0-8058-0756-X
Hickey, Lisa (2002). Design secrets: 50 real-life projects uncovered. Rockport Publishers, p. 145. ISBN 1-56496-663-1
Semuels, Alana (October 13, 2008). "New way to tout cars: a musical road". Los Angeles Times
Rasmussen, Randy (2005). Stanley Kubrick: Seven Films Analyzed, p. 157. McFarland
Anthony, Ted (15 June 1997). "Hong Kong's last colonial race day brings out the bets". Associated Press. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
^ Laskowski, John (2012). Tales from the Indiana Hoosiers Locker Room. Skyhorse Publishing Inc.

External links

William Tell Overture: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project, including Rossini's original score and variations and transcriptions by Louis Niedermeyer, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, and Franz Liszt.
William Tell Overture on YouTube, New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein
Animated score on YouTube, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Erich Kunzel

v t e William Tell
Characters	William Tell Albrecht Gessler Konrad Baumgarten Werner Stauffacher Stauffacherin
Literature	White Book of Sarnen (1474) Tellenlied (1470s) Chronicon Helveticum (1550–70) Urner Tellspiel (1512) Chronicle of the Swiss Confederation (1505–7) William Tell (play, 1804)
Opera	Guillaume Tell (1791) William Tell (1829) (William Tell Overture)
Film	Adventures of William Tell (1898) William Tell (1923) William Tell (1934) William Tell (1949) The Story of William Tell (1953 uncompleted) The Adventures of William Tell (1958–59) William Tell (1960) Crossbow (1987–90) The Legend of William Tell (1998) William Tell (2024)
Other	Rütlischwur Shooting an apple off one's child's head

Gioachino Rossini

Operas

Early works

Demetrio e Polibio (1812)
La cambiale di matrimonio (1810)
L'equivoco stravagante (1811)
L'inganno felice (1812)
Ciro in Babilonia, ossia La caduta di Baldassare (1812)
La scala di seta (1812)
La pietra del paragone (1812)
L'occasione fa il ladro, ossia Il cambio della valigia (1812)
Il signor Bruschino, ossia Il figlio per azzardo (1813)
Tancredi (1813)
L'italiana in Algeri (1813)

Maturity

Aureliano in Palmira (1813)
Il turco in Italia (1814)
Sigismondo (1814)
Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra (1815)
Torvaldo e Dorliska (1815)
Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione (1816)
La gazzetta, ossia Il matrimonio per concorso (1816)
Otello, ossia Il Moro di Venezia (1816)
La Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo (1817)
La gazza ladra (1817)
Armida (1817)
Adelaide di Borgogna, ossia Ottone, re d'Italia (1817)
Mosè in Egitto (1818)
Adina, ossia Il califfo di Bagdad (1826)
Ricciardo e Zoraide (1818)
Ermione (1819)
Eduardo e Cristina (1819)
La donna del lago (1819)
Bianca e Falliero, ossia Il consiglio dei tre (1819)
Maometto II (1820)
Matilde di Shabran, ossia Bellezza e Cuor di Ferro (1821)
Zelmira (1822)
Semiramide (1823)

Later works	Il viaggio a Reims, ossia L'albergo del Giglio d'Oro (1825) Le siège de Corinthe (1826) Moïse et Pharaon, ou Le passage de la mer rouge (1827) Le comte Ory (1828) Guillaume Tell (1829) Ugo, re d'Italia (unfinished)

Pastiches

Ivanhoé (1826)
Robert Bruce (1846)

Arias

Sacred music

Messa di Gloria (1820)
Stabat mater (1831, 1841)
Petite messe solennelle (1864, 1867)

Other works

Six string sonatas (1804)
Edipo a Colono (1817)
La regata veneziana (1835)
La Danza (1835)
Péchés de vieillesse (1857–1868)

Film adaptations

The Barber of Seville (1947 film)

Cultural depictions

Rossini (1942 biographical film)
Rossini! Rossini! (1991 biographical film)
Rossini's Ghost (1996 film)

Named for Rossini

Category

v t e The Lone Ranger
Fran Striker George W. Trendle
Characters	Lone Ranger Tonto
Television	TV series (1949–57) episodes guest stars First animated TV series (1966–69) The Tarzan/Lone Ranger Adventure Hour (1980–82) The Lone Ranger TV film (2003)
Film	The Lone Ranger (1938 serial) The Lone Ranger Rides Again (1939 serial) The Lone Ranger (1956) The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958) The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) The Lone Ranger (2013) soundtrack
Other	Video game (1991) The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (1993) The Unhanged (1971) Jack Wrather "Ke-mo sah-bee" Green Hornet "William Tell Overture" Disney Infinity Lego The Lone Ranger "The Lone Stranger" (2007)

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