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William Tell Overture

May 20, 2023

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.

Rossini portrayed in 1828, the year he began composing William Tell
William Tell Overture
The United States Marine Band performs a wind octet transcription
Problems playing this file? See media help.

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,[1] 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.[2] There are also transcriptions by other composers, including versions by Louis Gottschalk for two and four pianos and a duet for piano and violin.[3]

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.[4] It was described by Hector Berlioz, who usually loathed Rossini's works, as "a symphony in four parts".[5] 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.[6] Its duration 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.[6] It 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.[6] The melody appears several times in the opera, including the final act, and takes on the character of a leitmotif.[7] Its duration is 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[8] 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,[9] 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 the term "intellectual" has been defined as "a man who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger".[10] 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,[11] and by Dmitri Shostakovich in the first movement of his Symphony No. 15.[12]

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.[13] 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).[14] The finale has also been sung with specially written lyrics by Daffy Duck in Yankee Doodle Daffy. [15]

One of the most frequently used pieces of classical music in American advertising, the overture (especially its finale) appears in numerous ads,[16] with psychologist Joan Meyers-Levy suggesting that it is particularly suitable for those targeting male consumers.[17] 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.[18][19]

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.[20]

The overture, especially its finale, also features in several sporting events. It has been used by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for many years.[21] 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.[22] Sportscaster Billy Packer called it "the greatest college timeout in the country".[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ Studwell, William Emmett (1997). The Americana Song Reader. Routledge, pp. 90–91. ISBN 0-7890-0150-0
  2. ^ Hamilton, Kenneth (2005). The Cambridge Companion to Liszt. Cambridge University Press, p. 82. ISBN 0-521-62204-2
  3. ^ Starr, S. Frederick (2000). Louis Moreau Gottschalk. University of Illinois Press, pp. 84, 180. ISBN 0-252-06876-9
  4. ^ Kinscella, Hazel Gertrude (1941/2005). Music and Romance. Kessinger Publishing, pp. 389–390. ISBN 1-4179-9594-7.
  5. ^ Rous, Samuel Holland (1921). The Victrola Book of the Opera 6th edition. Victor Talking Machine Company, p. 426.
  6. ^ a b c Rudel, Anthony J. (1995). "William Tell Overture" in Classical Music Top 40. Simon and Schuster, pp. 271–276. ISBN 0-671-79495-7.
  7. ^ Sadie, Stanley and Macy, Laura eds. (2006). The Grove Book of Operas, p. 271. Oxford University Press.
  8. ^ Stories Behind the Greatest Classical Compositions
  9. ^ "Gioachino Rossini: William Tell", Classic FM (UK)
  10. ^ 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".
  11. ^ Mailer, Franz; (English version by Keith Anderson) (2003). "Album Notes for Johann Strauss I: Edition – Vol. 3". Naxos Records. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  12. ^ Greetham, David, 2010. The Pleasures of Contamination: Evidence, Text, and Voice in Textual Studies. Indiana University Press, p. 2. ISBN 0-253-22216-8.
  13. ^ 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
  14. ^ Goldmark, Daniel (2005). Tunes for 'toons: music and the Hollywood cartoon. University of California Press, p. 39. ISBN 0-520-23617-3
  15. ^ Friedwald, Will and Beck, Jerry (1981). The Warner Brothers Cartoons, p. 101. Scarecrow Press
  16. ^ Twitchell, James B. (1996). Adcult USA: The triumph of advertising in American culture. Columbia University Press, p. 27. ISBN 0-231-10324-7.
  17. ^ 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
  18. ^ Hickey, Lisa (2002). Design secrets: 50 real-life projects uncovered. Rockport Publishers, p. 145. ISBN 1-56496-663-1
  19. ^ Semuels, Alana (October 13, 2008). "New way to tout cars: a musical road". Los Angeles Times
  20. ^ Rasmussen, Randy (2005). Stanley Kubrick: Seven Films Analyzed, p. 157. McFarland
  21. ^ Anthony, Ted (15 June 1997). "Hong Kong's last colonial race day brings out the bets". Associated Press. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  22. ^ a b Laskowski, John (2012). Tales from the Indiana Hoosiers Locker Room. Skyhorse Publishing Inc.

Further reading

  • Kirby, Percival R. (April 1952). "Rossini's Overture to William Tell". Music & Letters. 33 (2): 132–140. doi:10.1093/ml/XXXIII.2.132. JSTOR 730802. (subscription required)

External links

May 20, 2023
william, tell, overture, overture, opera, william, tell, original, french, title, guillaume, tell, whose, music, composed, gioachino, rossini, william, tell, premiered, 1829, last, rossini, operas, after, which, went, into, semi, retirement, continued, compose. 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 Rossini portrayed in 1828 the year he began composing William TellWilliam Tell Overture source source The United States Marine Band performs a wind octet transcription Problems playing this file See media help 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 1 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 2 There are also transcriptions by other composers including versions by Louis Gottschalk for two and four pianos and a duet for piano and violin 3 Contents 1 Instrumentation 2 Structure 3 Cultural references 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksInstrumentation EditThe 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 EditThe overture which lasts for approximately 12 minutes paints a musical picture of life in the Swiss Alps the setting of the opera 4 It was described by Hector Berlioz who usually loathed Rossini s works as a symphony in four parts 5 But unlike an actual symphony with its distinct movements the overture s parts transition from one to the next without a break 1 Prelude DawnThe 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 6 Its duration is about three minutes 2 StormThis 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 6 It also lasts for about three minutes 3 Ranz des vachesThis 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 6 The melody appears several times in the opera including the final act and takes on the character of a leitmotif 7 Its duration is 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 8 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 SoldiersThe finale often called the March of the Swiss Soldiers in English 9 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 the term intellectual has been defined as a man who can listen to the William Tell Overture without thinking of the Lone Ranger 10 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 11 and by Dmitri Shostakovich in the first movement of his Symphony No 15 12 Cultural references EditDescribed 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 13 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 14 The finale has also been sung with specially written lyrics by Daffy Duck in Yankee Doodle Daffy 15 One of the most frequently used pieces of classical music in American advertising the overture especially its finale appears in numerous ads 16 with psychologist Joan Meyers Levy suggesting that it is particularly suitable for those targeting male consumers 17 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 18 19 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 20 The overture especially its finale also features in several sporting events It has been used by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for many years 21 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 22 Sportscaster Billy Packer called it the greatest college timeout in the country 22 See also Edit Classical music portal Opera portalWilliam Tell Overture Spike Jones song William Tell Overture Mike Oldfield instrumental References Edit 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 a b c 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 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 a b Laskowski John 2012 Tales from the Indiana Hoosiers Locker Room Skyhorse Publishing Inc Further reading EditKirby Percival R April 1952 Rossini s Overture to William Tell Music amp Letters 33 2 132 140 doi 10 1093 ml XXXIII 2 132 JSTOR 730802 subscription required External links EditWilliam 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 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Tell Overture amp oldid 1152521474, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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