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| The '''overture''' to the opera ''''']''''', especially its high-energy finale, is a very familiar work composed by ]. There has been repeated use (and sometimes parody) of this overture in the popular media, most famously for being the ] for the '']'' media property, and it is quoted by ] in his ]. | The '''overture''' to the opera ''''']''''', especially its high-energy finale, is a very familiar work composed by ]. There has been repeated use (and sometimes parody) of this overture in the popular media, most famously for being the ] for the '']'' media property, and it is quoted by ] in his ]. | ||
| == The original music == | |||
| The overture is written in four parts, each segueing into the next: | The overture is written in four parts, each segueing into the next: | ||
| *Prelude - a slow passage with low-pitch instruments such as cello and bass | *Prelude - a slow passage with low-pitch instruments such as cello and bass | ||
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| *Ranz des vaches (call to the dairy cows) - featuring the ] | *Ranz des vaches (call to the dairy cows) - featuring the ] | ||
| *Finale - ultra-dynamic "cavalry charge" ] heralded by trumpets and played by full orchestra. This is the tune used in the Lone Ranger series. | *Finale - ultra-dynamic "cavalry charge" ] heralded by trumpets and played by full orchestra. This is the tune used in the Lone Ranger series. | ||
| ==The Spike Jones version== | |||
| ]'s version reproduces the original with significant modification of style and replaces the conclusion with the imitated horse race calls of the famous announcer ]. | |||
| The song was on the album ''Spike Jones is Murdering The Classics'' in ], and was later included in the compilation ''Greatest Hits'' released in ] by ]. | |||
| The recording begins with the "Storm" portion of the overture, played frenetically, with the band accompanied by barking dogs and clanging objects of various kinds. The progression was brought to a sudden end with the "Bang!" of one of the famous guns in Jones's unique percussion section. | |||
| The "Call to the Cows" begins with normal instruments and artificial bird chirps. The next part is played on pots and pans and bicycle horns, each one in perfect tune, followed by a crash. Finally, the melody is rendered by gargling. | |||
| The "Finale" is played on the normal instruments of a ], mostly as an underscore to the commentary of ]. Weaver introduces the race horses, each bearing a similar name to a real horse (Stoogehand for Stagehand, Dogbiscuit for Seabiscuit, and Assault for Assault). He introduces Feitlebaum last with a distant 20 to 1 odds. | |||
| The official name of the horse is "Feitlebaum", after Weaver's character "Professor Feitlebaum", but many have heard it as "Beetlebaum" or "Feeblebaum". The horse's name is always said with a deep monotone. | |||
| The announcer goes on a tangent as the race nears its finish, impersonating broadcaster ], who called the famous Seabiscuit-War Admiral match race in ] and also the famous Louis-Schmeling boxing rematch of that same year. | |||
| The song concludes with Weaver pronouncing Feitlebaum as the winner. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| *''Ranz des vaches'' often rivals ] '']'' in usage for wake-up or morning scenes in films and other media. | |||
| *One of the greatest interpretations of this overture can be admired in the first complete ] cartoon made in colour, '']'' from 1935. | |||
| *All but the prelude has often been used in ] and ]: ''Storm'' for ships at sea and other tumultuous scenes; ''Ranz des vaches'' for any sunrise or waking-up scene, especially on a farm; and the finale for any scene involving galloping, examples being the ] cartoons '']'' and '']''. | |||
| *A small repetitive portion of the ''Ranz des vaches'' was once used in ] ads. | |||
| *The ''Ranz des vaches'' is the theme for the short cartoon '']''. | |||
| *The TV ] series '']'' put words to the finale, resulting in the song ''Happy Anniversary''. | |||
| *Portions of the prelude and the finale were used in the ] film '']'', the former in a straight and sombre scene, the latter in a humorous context. | |||
| *Portions of the finale were used for many years as a TV and radio ] by ] in ] and ], ]. | |||
| *Knowing at least the rhythm of the first line of the finale is essential to understanding this joke: | |||
| :Q: Where does the ] take his garbage? | |||
| :A: To the dump, to the dump, to the dump-dump-dump! | |||
| *An apocryphal story has conductor ] leading the ] in a number of popular classics including the Overture. Upon the first notes of the finale, a number of school children in the gallery supposedly jumped up and cheered "Hi-yo, Silver!" Stokowski, completely baffled, stopped the orchestra for a few moments; unfamiliar with American popular culture, he had no idea about ''The Lone Ranger''. | |||
| *A portion of the prelude was used as a sample in rapper ]' hit single "]". | |||
| * Was the soundtrack for the 1980s video game Digger. | |||
| * Was used in the 1995 game ] as the theme music for driving with the flag in your possession. | |||
| * Is one of the tracks in the European release of ]. | |||
| * Was used in the retired pricing game ] from ''] in ]-]. | |||
| * The ''Ranz des vaches'' is heard in the beginning of the video game ]. | |||
| * The post-hardcore band Senses Fail mentions William Tell in their song "The Priest and the Matador". | |||
| * The finale is featured as a song in the dance pad game ], under the name "Tell." The song was remixed specially for the game by staff composer Kyle Ward, under the alias Symphonius. | |||
| * The character D-Day, played by ], plays the William Tell Overture on his windpipes in the movie, Animal House. | |||
| == External links == | |||
| * | |||
| ==Media== | ==Media== | ||
| {{listen|filename=William Tell2.ogg|title=William Tell Overture|description=Sodero's band performs part 2 of the overture in 1914.|format=]}} | {{listen|filename=William Tell2.ogg|title=William Tell Overture|description=Sodero's band performs part 2 of the overture in 1914.|format=]}} | ||
| ==See also== | |||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 12:26, 13 January 2007
The overture to the opera William Tell, especially its high-energy finale, is a very familiar work composed by Gioacchino Rossini. There has been repeated use (and sometimes parody) of this overture in the popular media, most famously for being the theme music for the Lone Ranger media property, and it is quoted by Dmitri Shostakovich in his Symphony No. 15.
The overture is written in four parts, each segueing into the next:
- Prelude - a slow passage with low-pitch instruments such as cello and bass
- Storm - dynamic section played by full orchestra
- Ranz des vaches (call to the dairy cows) - featuring the English horn
- Finale - ultra-dynamic "cavalry charge" galop heralded by trumpets and played by full orchestra. This is the tune used in the Lone Ranger series.
Media
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