William Tell. Legend. Real story. The meaning of William Tell in the literary encyclopedia Who knocked the apple off his son's head

Characters:

	baritone
Walter Fuerst	bass
Melchtal	bass
Arnold, son of Melchthal	tenor
Leuthold	bass
Gesler, the Kaiser's lieutenant in Switzerland	bass
Rudolf Garras, leader of Gesler's soldiers	tenor
Matilda, Habsburg princess	soprano
Gedwiga, Tell's wife	mezzo-soprano
Jemmy, son of Tell	soprano
Fisherman	tenor
Hunter	bass
Peasants from the cantons of Schwyz, Unterwalden, Uri; gentlemen and ladies, pages, heralds, soldiers and guards of Gesler, hunters, shooters; Tyroleans.
The action takes place in Switzerland. Time: beginning of the 14th century.

HISTORY OF CREATION

The basis for “William Tell” was the drama of the same name by the great German poet F. Schiller. The nature of the plan was influenced by the composer’s study of the opera by A. Grétry (1741-1813) of the same name (based on Lemierre’s play), as well as the heroic-revolutionary opera “Fenella” by F. Aubert (1782-1871), which was performed in 1828 in Paris with a huge success. A number of people took part in the creation of the libretto, of which the largest role was played by V. Etienne (Jouy) (1764-1846) and I. Bis (1789-1855), both experienced theater writers, especially the first, who fruitfully collaborated with many French opera composers . Rossini's opera included the most dramatic scenes from Schiller's play. At the same time, the psychological subtlety of the motivations for the actions of the characters in the play turned out to be largely lost. The authors of the script changed the names and nationalities of a number of characters, shortened some of them (for example, Tell only has one son left in the opera), etc.

The opera premiered on August 3, 1829 in Paris. The unusual interpretation of the theme and the novelty of the musical style initially caused a reserved reception among the Parisian public, but soon the remarkable work was appreciated and entered the repertoire of opera houses in many countries around the world.

PLOT

According to ancient custom, the Swiss are preparing to celebrate the spring holiday, during which the entry into marriage is sanctified. Among the jubilant people, the figure of the famous shooter Tell stands out. He is overwhelmed by thoughts about his homeland, which has been enslaved by foreign conquerors for a hundred years now. The old Melchthal, revered by all, blesses the assembled young people. Only his son, Arnold, remains aloof. Passionate love for the Austrian princess Matilda forced him to serve the enemies of his homeland. Arnold is tormented by pangs of conscience. The sounds of horns herald the approach of Gesler and his detachment. Arnold rushes towards them, hoping to see Matilda. Tell holds him back, calling him to fight for the liberation of his homeland. At the height of the holiday, the shepherd Leuthold suddenly appears. He is pursued by Gesler's soldiers, one of whom he killed while defending his daughter's honor. To be saved, you need to cross to the other side. But the fisherman refuses to help the fugitive, since the path lies through dangerous rapids and waterfalls. Only Tell decides to set sail, and when the chase appears on the shore, the boat is already far away. Seeing that the prey has escaped, Rudolf orders his soldiers to drive the people away and, under threat of death, demands to know the name of the helmsman. On behalf of everyone, Melchtal rejects the path of betrayal. Rudolf orders the soldiers to seize the old man and gives them the village to plunder. The brutal reprisal awakens justified anger among the people.

Left alone in the forest after the hunt, Matilda waits to meet Arnold, who awakened in her a feeling of tender love. Arnold appears. In deep emotion, he hears words of recognition from the lips of his beloved. Matilda persuades him to leave his homeland in order to become famous for his military exploits. At dawn in the chapel, she promises to take a secret vow of fidelity. The lovers' conversation is interrupted by the appearance of Tell and Walter Fürst. Both Swiss remind Arnold of his duty to his homeland. At first, his love for Matilda shakes Arnold's resolve. Only when he learns about the tragic death of his father, killed by foreigners, does the thirst for revenge flare up in him.

Scene from G. Rossini's opera "William Tell"

Under the cover of darkness, the Swiss gather to take an oath of allegiance to freedom. They are ready to start an uprising as soon as the signal fire flashes.

Matilda and Arnold meet in the chapel. But they are not destined to be together. Arnold must avenge his father's death. There is noise coming from outside. This is Gesler's military camp awakening; the day begins. People and soldiers gather at the fairgrounds in Altdorf. This day marks the centenary of the rule of the conquerors, and Gesler ordered it to be celebrated with a holiday. The governor's hat is raised on a pole. Everyone, under penalty of death, must bow before her. Only Tell refuses to carry out the mocking order of the governor; no threats can force him to humiliate himself before the tyrant. Tell and his son Jemmy are in mortal danger. To increase the father's suffering, Gesler tells Tell to shoot the apple placed on his son's head. If he hits, the son is free, if not, both must die. Little Jemmy's confidence and calmness give Tell new courage. With a well-aimed shot he pierces the apple. The people praise the hero. But from extreme stress of physical and mental strength, Tell loses consciousness and falls. At this moment, Gesler notices a second arrow hidden on him. Tell does not hide the fact that it was intended for Gesler if Jemmy had been killed with the first shot. The angry governor orders the father and son to be imprisoned for the rest of their days. Matilda stands up for the boy and takes him away from the soldiers. The people curse the cruelty and injustice of the tyrant.

In Melchthal's hut, Arnold remembers his childhood and his murdered father. He decides to free Tell, who is languishing in prison, at any cost. Arnold calls on the approaching Swiss with weapons in their hands to rise up to fight. Jemmy appears on the rocky shore of the lake, accompanied by Matilda. She returns her son to the inconsolable Hedwiga, who did not want to see him alive. Love for Arnold led Matilda to the side of the oppressed; she voluntarily remains among them as a hostage to save Tell's life. Matilda reports that Gesler is taking Tell across the lake to a fortress-prison, cut off from the land by water. To signal the start of the uprising, Jemmy sets fire to the roof of his own house. Armed Swiss are running to the shore. A storm is raging on the lake. The boat in which Tell is being carried is taken to the rocks and he, as an experienced helmsman, is given the steering oar. As the boat approaches the rock, the prisoner with a bold leap reaches the shore before his guards. Gesler and his soldiers try to pursue Tell, but it is too late. Jemmy, who arrived in time, hands over the weapon to his father, and Gesler is overtaken by Tell's deadly arrow. The rebels are pushing back enemy soldiers everywhere. Arnold brings news of the fall of the Altdorf fortress. The people are celebrating the arrival of the long-awaited hour of freedom.

MUSIC

“William Tell” is a heroic-patriotic opera, imbued with the pathos of the liberation struggle. The heroic principle is revealed in the purity and nobility of the relations of heroes, people from the people, in the harsh simplicity of their patriarchal life. The central place in the opera is occupied by mass choral scenes, revealing the image of the people, introducing important touches into the characteristics of most of the characters. The stage action includes picturesque scenes of nature and pompous processions, love episodes and spectacular ballet numbers. The musical language of the opera is unique, making extensive use of Swiss and Tyrolean national folklore.

The overture concisely reflects the dramatic development of the opera, the gradual transition from pastoral-idyllic images to heroic ones. The overture opens with a chorale theme of four solo cellos. After the symphonic picture of the storm, shaded by the musical landscape of peaceful alpine meadows, a radiant victorious march sounds.

The first act is dominated by monumental choral scenes. Towards the end the drama gradually increases. The orchestral introduction is permeated with light pastoral tunes. The smooth swaying of the melody in the peasant choir “The sky is so bright” evokes a feeling of serene bliss and tranquility. The fisherman’s song “Come to Me” is poetic, in the character of a barcarolle. A sharp contrast is created by Tell’s arioso “The Careless Fisherman Sings,” full of bitterness and aching pain. The contrast continues in the quartet (Jemmy, Hedwig, the fisherman and Tell), where Tell's part stands out for its dramatic emotion. The stage is crowned by a majestically solemn sextet with the choir “Let the Echo from the Mountains.” In the extended duet of Tell and Arnold, chiseled marching intonations are established, conveying a courageous readiness to fight. The measured waltz rhythm of the wedding choir “Sacred Marriage” brings it closer to peasant dances. The fast-paced finale ends with a dynamic and intense choral scene.

The second act is filled with forest romance. The orchestral introduction imitates the sound of hunting horns. The choirs of hunters and Swiss are painted in soft, lyrical and pastoral colors; their music is close to folk song melody. The act is centered on a number of solo and ensemble episodes: Matilda’s lyrical romance, her passionately excited duet with Arnold, the large trio of Arnold, Wilhelm and Walter, in which the excited pathos of the initial section gives way to uplifting heroic intonations. The act ends with a grand choral finale - the scene in Rütli - the dramatic pinnacle of the opera, the entire development of which is directed towards the climax - a courageously determined trio with a choir (the oath of the Swiss).

The third act has several contrasting sections following intensely dramatic plot developments. In the center of the love scene between Matilda and Arnold is the heroine's pathetically excited aria (the scene is usually released during performance). Among the various genre episodes, the Tyrolean choir, a capella, stands out. The quartet marks a turning point in the development of the action; Contradictory feelings - the courageous grief of Tell, the touching pleas of Jemmy, the cruelty of Gesler and Rudolf - are captured in a flexible, figuratively bright melody. The tension reaches its limit in Tell's expressive arioso addressed to his son - “Be still.” The act ends with a monumental choral scene, full of anger and protest.

The fourth act rushes towards a radiant final apotheosis. In Arnold's scene with the Swiss, the expressive orchestral accompaniment conveys a sense of anxiety and excitement. Arnold's cabaletta “Friends, we will avenge our father,” reminiscent of Italian liberation songs, is imbued with a calling, fighting spirit. The colorful orchestral picture of the storm forms the dramatic climax of the act. The final scene is filled with a feeling of boundless jubilation, symbolizing the triumph of justice and freedom.

D. Rossini opera "William Tell"

Gioachino Rossini never wrote anything like William Tell. And it is not known for certain why after this work he stopped composing operas forever. Perhaps due to the understanding that the public is not yet ready for the new format of the opera, and he can no longer return to composing bel cante buffoonery? Or because the composer was tired of the incredible number of censorship obstacles? I wouldn't know if I could Rossini to go even further in his musical development, but the fact that with “William Tell” he opened a new page in the history of opera is undeniable.

Read a summary of Rossini's opera "" and many interesting facts about this work on our page.

Characters		Description
	baritone	Swiss independence fighters
Walter Fuerst	tenor	Swiss independence fighters
Arnold Melchthal	tenor	Austrian army soldier, then independence fighter
Melchtal	bass	Arnold's father
Jemmy	soprano	son of Tell
Gesler	bass	Austrian governor
Rodolphe	tenor	commander of Gesler's troops
Matilda	soprano	Princess of the House of Habsburg

Summary of “William Tell”

Swiss canton of Uri, 13th century.

Wedding feast in the village of Bürglen. William Tell's mood is darkened by the increased interference in the affairs of the country by foreign rulers, the Habsburgs, whose governor is Gesler. His friend, Arnold Melchthal, serves in the Austrian army, which means he is on the side of the enemy. He tries to convince Arnold to join the resistance and fight for independence. But he was brought to the Austrian camp by his love for Princess Matilda, which he cannot refuse. Suddenly a shepherd appears - he killed a soldier from Gesler’s detachment who tried to harm his daughter, and is now fleeing persecution. There is only one salvation - to move to the other side of the lake. But the fisherman refuses to help - a storm is approaching. William Tell puts the shepherd in a boat and sets off, despite the waves. When the Austrians break into the village, the locals do not hand over the fugitives. In revenge, Rudolf takes old Melchthal hostage.

Matilda is tired of life at court, she is attracted by nature and the vastness of the forests. She tells Arnold about this, they swear their love to each other. Tell and Furst appear, from whom Arnold learns that his father was executed by order of Gesler. He joins the rebels without hesitation. The people's leaders of the cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden unite to fight against tyranny.

Gesler throws a feast in honor of his reign and orders all residents to bow to their hat. Tell refuses, then Gesler forces him to shoot with a crossbow at an apple standing on the head of Jemmy, his son. Having passed this test, Tell says that if he had missed, the second arrow would have gone to Gesler. For these words he is sentenced to death.

Boats carrying convicts and the Austrian governor are sailing along the lake to the place of execution. A storm begins, Tell manages to steer the boat to the shore, get out of it and kill Gesler with one shot from a crossbow. The people are rejoicing. Uprisings are sweeping the entire country: nothing can stand in the way of the liberation of Switzerland.

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Interesting Facts

Not just for the opera Rossini , but there was also a contradictory attitude towards Schiller’s drama at different moments in history. At first it was perceived as a hymn to freedom, then it was radically reduced, and in Nazi Germany it was even banned, as it justified the murder of a tyrant. Schiller's play is open to multiple interpretations as it covers different themes equally: the political message of Switzerland's struggle for independence is as important as the story of simple, virtuous people leading idyllic lives in harmony with the forces of nature. With courage and heroism, these characters respond to the challenge of external circumstances. But after the end of the battles, they all inevitably return to their usual way of life.

The mixture of idyllic and heroic in William Tell also reflected Rossini's personal sympathies. But to what extent did the composer share the political motives of this story? Throughout his life, he was repeatedly accused of being apolitical: he always maintained neutral relations with the authorities. Explicit statements against oppression, such as in "Moses in Egypt" or "William Tell" are exceptions for Rossini. Patriotic and anti-tyrannical ideas were secondary in his operas, not only because of the power of censorship, but also because Rossini's creative nature and his understanding of musical theater were quite conservative.
On November 7, 1893, at the Liceo Theater in Barcelona, the anarchist Santiago Salvador Franch, during the second act of William Tell, committed a terrorist attack, throwing two explosive devices from the gallery into the hall. This act expressed his reaction to the execution of his comrade, terrorist Paulino Latorre. The first bomb exploded in row 13. The second one, fortunately, did not detonate and rolled under the chair. A total of 20 people were killed and many were injured. After the restoration of the theater, some of the seats in rows 13 and 14, where the dead were sitting, remained empty for a long time during all performances.

The best numbers from the opera "William Tell"

Overture finale (listen)

“Sois immobile” - arioso by William Tell (listen)

“Sombre foret” - Matilda’s romance (listen)

“Asile hereditaire...Amis, secondez ma vengeance” - Arnold's aria (listen)

The history of the creation and production of "William Tell"

The two main well-known facts about Gioachino Rossini are: he composed very quickly, producing 3-4 operas a year, and he stopped writing operas forever at the age of 37, living until he was 76. William Tell is his longest opera, at which he spent a lot of time (by his own standards) - a whole six months, later refining and reducing the five-act action to a four-act one. Moreover, this is also his last opera. Moreover, there is information that this was not a coincidence, but his informed decision.

There is no clear opinion as to which work was taken as a basis - either the drama of one of the main providers of opera plots in the 19th century, Friedrich Schiller, or the tragedy of the French playwright A. Lemierre. Most likely, the opera's authors were well acquainted with both works, as well as with the ancient legend of the Swiss liberator William Tell. The libretto was commissioned by V.-J. Etienne de Jouy and I.-L.-F. Bisu, it was created in French, since Rossini lived in Paris at that time.

The premiere took place on August 3, 1829 at the Paris Opera. The critics were delighted, but the public was less attracted to Rossini's new musical language, and the heroic-patriotic plot was far from the usual opera buffa. In addition, the original version of the opera lasted almost six hours. After revision, the maestro reduced the score to about four hours of music, but it was still very long. The opera did not become a theater favorite either because the main tenor role (Arnold) was so complex that it was difficult to find a good performer who could not lose sound quality throughout the entire performance. And the abundance of purely choral scenes imposed the obligation to seriously work with the opera chorus, which entailed considerable financial and time costs.

Staging the opera in Italy was subject to censorship restrictions - the country was under Austrian influence and the theme of national liberation, and even from the Austrians, was absolutely unacceptable. The opera was nevertheless translated into Italian and staged in San Carlo, Neapolitan, in 1833. However, it soon disappeared from the repertoire and was performed very rarely over the next 30 years. Oddly enough, William Tell was much more popular in Vienna. In the early 1830s, the opera was performed in London and New York. Although, due to censorship requirements, the work sometimes even lost its name - the main character was renamed either the Tyrolean Andreas Hofer, or the Scotsman Wallas, or Rudolf di Stirling.

Russia in this sense was no exception - in Russian it told the story of a certain “Karl the Bold”, the premiere took place in St. Petersburg in 1836. The original “William Tell” was staged in Leningrad in 1932, and during the Great Patriotic War it was performed by the Bolshoi Theater in evacuation.

Fragments of the overture to the opera were widely used by filmmakers; it accompanies the action of the films:

"The Pink Panther", 2006
"Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London", 2004
"The Princess Diaries", 2001
"My Life", 1993
"A Clockwork Orange", 1971

Infrequent productions of William Tell remain in video versions:

Performance at the Pesaro Festival, 1995, directed by P.L. Pizzi, in the main roles: M. Pertusi (William Tell), G. Kunde (Arnold), R. Ferrari (Gesler), D. Dessy (Matilda)
Performance by La Scala, 1988, directed by L. Ronconi, in the main roles: D. Zancanaro, K. Merritt, L. Roni, C. Studer.

Nowadays, there are only 30 productions in theaters around the world." William Tell", in terms of frequency of performance it is only in the second hundred operas. Such restrained attention to the whole work is more than compensated by the popularity of the overture's gallop, which is perhaps the most famous melody in the world, performed daily by many symphony orchestras, and by even more mobile phones. It accompanies advertisements for sneakers, cars and pizza. It is hummed by employees rushing to the office. Don't write Rossini nothing more, these few minutes from a six-hour opera would already make him immortal. And, probably, the master of bel canto, whose muse fell silent forever after William Tell, understood this better than anyone.

Gioachino Rossini "William Tell"

Opera in four acts (Originally written in five acts, the opera was subsequently reduced by the author to three by removing the entire third and compressing the last two acts. Currently, the opera is given with the third act restored, but with the preservation of the cuts of the fourth and fifth, thus becoming , in a four-act performance.) Gioachino Rossini with a libretto (in French) by Victor Joseph Etienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Louis Florent Bi (with significant contributions from the composer as well as Armand Marras), based on the drama of the same name by Friedrich Schiller.

Characters:

WILHELM TELL, Swiss patriot (baritone)
GEDWIGA, his wife (soprano)
JEMMY, their son (soprano)
GESSLER, Kaiser's Viceroy in Switzerland and Uri (bass)
MATILDA, his daughter (soprano)
ARNOLD, Swiss patriot (tenor)
MELCHTHAL, his father (bass)
WALTER FURST, another Swiss patriot (6ac)
RUDOLF, Gessler Guard officer (tenor)
LEITHOLD, shepherd (bass)

Time period: XIV century.
Location: Switzerland.
First performance: Paris, August 3, 1829.

William Tell is Rossini's longest opera. This is his last operatic creation. Perhaps it was the writing of such a long work (the first performance of the opera lasted six hours) that caused him to cool off on writing. Be that as it may, despite the fact that William Tell was a huge critical success, Rossini did not write any more operas, although he lived for almost forty more years. Rossini himself shortened the opera and created an authorized version of three, instead of five, acts. And in Paris at one time there was even a tradition of giving only the second act from an opera, combining it with some other opera in order to fill out the theatrical program. There is a well-known story of how the director of the Paris Grand Opera once told the composer that the second act of William Tell was announced in the program that evening. "What? - exclaimed the angry Rossini. - The whole second act?

For many years it was believed that the composer’s name was preserved in the repertoire of major opera houses only thanks to “The Barber of Seville” and “William Tell”. As for the latter, either because of its length or because of the incredible demands placed on the performer of Arnold's tenor role, it can no longer be counted among the traditional, not to say standard, set of operas performed in opera houses. Productions of other Rossini operas, such as Cinderella and An Italian in Algiers, are being revived much more frequently. As for the libretto, it is undoubtedly better than that of The Barber of Seville. The plot of "William Tell" is put together quite firmly, but, of course, it is not so good.

During the period of political unrest in the 1830s, this opera was considered dangerous in some countries due to its revolutionary spirit. Accordingly, when it was staged, changes were made to the libretto. This concerned, in particular, its name. So, in Milan the opera was called “Guglielmo Vallatze” (that is, the Scot William Wallace), in Rome - “Rodolfo di Sterlinga”, in London and Berlin - “Andreas Hofer”, and in St. Petersburg - “Karl the Bold”. It seems strange that the censors were more concerned about the name of an almost completely mythical revolutionary than about the names that were real prototypes of other characters in the opera. But a lot of what the censors do seems strange.

OVERTURE

The Overture to William Tell is the most famous orchestral music of all that is included in the programs of symphony concerts when they want to perform symphonic excerpts from operas; The only thing that can compete with it is the intermezzo from Mascagni’s “Rural Honor”. It remained in the feelings of the public, and perhaps even grew out of these feelings, as evidenced by its use in one of the Disney cartoons. It begins very boldly - with solo cellos; the tremolo of the timpani paints one of Rossini's pictures of a storm; here the composer very naturally, using the characteristic timbre of the piccolo flute, depicts raindrops; then follows a pastoral section based on a Swiss Alpine horn melody played on a French horn; and finally, after a brilliant fanfare played by the trumpets, the famous gallop sounds, which, when well executed, controls its rapid progress, despite the many humorous associations, decent and indecent, that are now associated with it.

ACT I

The plot of this opera is associated with the name of the legendary Swiss patriot of the 14th century. The country is under the yoke of the Austrian governor Gessler, who behaves like a tyrant. High in the Alps, in Tell's home village, the Swiss celebrate their national holiday. The old shepherd Melchtal (he is an elder, the head of one of the cantons) blesses three couples who are going to get married. Two serious voices sound somewhat out of tune with the general merriment. One of them is the voice of Tell, who laments the fate of his country; the other is Arnold, the son of Melchthal, he suffers from a hopeless, forbidden love for Princess Matilda, the daughter of the sworn enemy of Switzerland (because of this love he even became a soldier in the army of the Austrian invaders).

A long duet sounds (“Ou va-tu? Quel transport t"agite” - “What’s wrong with you? Where are you running in confusion?”), in which Tell convinces Arnold to fight for the freedom of his country, but Arnold initially hesitates because of his love for To Matilda, the sounds of hunting horns are heard from afar - the people of Gessler, the governor of the Austrian emperor, are hunting, they are not far away.

The holiday continues (“Hymenee, ta journee” - “Sacred Marriage”). First, everyone dances, then in the games that begin, Tell's young son, Jemmy, demonstrates that he is as good a shooter as his father. Everyone praises him (“Honneur au fils de Tell” - “Glory to the son of Tell”). The celebration is interrupted by the appearance of the shepherd Leuthold, a Swiss who escaped from Gessler's detachment; he killed one of Gessler's soldiers who was trying to kidnap his daughter, and now they are pursuing him. Tell saves him by transporting him in his boat to the other side of the lake, despite the strong waves.

When Gessler's detachment under the command of Rudolf appears, none of the local residents betray Tell, and then, in revenge, Rudolf arrests the old man Melchtal and sets the entire village on fire.

ACT II

The second act begins with a recitative and a brilliant coloratura aria “Sombre foret, desert, triste” (“The dark forest has a mysterious shelter”), sung by Matilda, the daughter of the Austrian tyrant Gessler, in which she confesses her love for Arnold. He meets her in an alpine meadow among the forests, where she is waiting for him, and they sing a wonderful love duet. Hearing William Tell and Walter Wurst approaching, Matilda quickly runs away. These men have come to convince Arnold to join them in their rebellion against Gessler, but they are worried that they have caught him with Matilda. They tell him tragic news: Gessler executed his father, the old shepherd Melchtal. Arnold is shocked. There is no longer room for any doubts: he will take revenge (the terzetto “Quand l" Helvetie est un camp de supplice” - “In a difficult struggle, the native land is dying”). This magnificent terzetto ends with the oath of these three Swiss to liberate their country.

One after another, groups of people arrive from the Swiss cantons of Unterwald, Schwyz and Uri. Tell addresses them with a pathetic speech, and the action ends with a solemn patriotic oath, which is taken by all those present (“Des profondeurs du bois immense” - “Do you hear? From the dark thicket of the forest”).

ACT III

On the market square in Altdorf in front of Gessler's residence there is a celebration of the centenary of Austrian power. The tyrant Gessler exhibits the coat of arms of Austria and his own helmet, so that every Swiss, as he passes, bows to them. William Tell refuses to do this, and Gessler's guards immediately arrest him and his son. Gessler states that Tell must demonstrate his archery skills by hitting an apple placed on his son's head. Tell refuses to do this, and then Gessler orders the boy to be executed. Now Tell has no choice. The boy Jemmy expresses fearless confidence in Tell's art. And Tell breaks the apple in half with a shot.

But a second arrow falls from Tell's quiver. And when Gessler demands an answer as to what it is intended for, the patriot replies that if the boy had died, this second arrow would have been shot into his, Gessler’s, heart. An enraged Gessler orders Tell's arrest. Tell, before he is taken away, manages to convey the order to his wife with his son. “Tell Hedwig,” says Wilhelm, “that the lighting of fires in the mountains will be a signal for the uprising of the cantons.” Gessler's daughter, Matilda, runs away with little Jemmy to deliver this message.

ACT IV

Scene 1 is represented mainly by the aria sung by Arnold (“Asile hereditaire” - “Peaceful darling shelter”). He returned home, and the thought of his father's death in Gessler's captivity continues to depress him. A group of Swiss patriots informs him of the arrest of William Tell, and, spurred to action, he eventually sets off at the head of a detachment of Swiss to free their leader (cabaletta with chorus “Amis, amis, secondez ma vengeance”; “Friends, friends, for We will take revenge on our father."

Scene 2 takes place in a rocky area near Lake Firvaldshet (Lake of the Four Cantons), not far from Tell’s home. Jemmy, accompanied by Matilda, runs to his mother Hedwig (their terzetto: “Je rends a votre amour un fils” - “Here your son has been returned to you”). The little boy is full of hope that Tell will be saved in the boat, despite the storm that has broken out on the lake. He suddenly remembers his father's message. He sets fire to his father's house, which serves as a signal for the cantons to revolt. As the storm rages, they all pray for Tell's salvation. Suddenly the hero himself appears from the boat. He is being chased by his pursuers, including Gessler. But Tell takes his bow and arrows from Jemmy, who managed to take them out of the burning house. Tell hits the target exactly - Gessler falls dead into the lake. At this moment, that part of the Swiss patriots, led by young Arnold, enters, they announce that the fortified castles of the Austrians have been taken by the rebels. The opera ends with the rejoicing of all those who are now on the side of the Swiss. Matilda left the enemy camp and agreed to become Arnold's wife.

Henry W. Simon (translated by A. Maikapara)

The opera was completed in five to six months, an unusually long period for Rossini. The premiere did not live up to expectations of a warm reception from the public, while critics lavished enthusiastic praise.

In Italy and other countries, "William Tell" invariably received a very favorable reception, although it was not always easy to find a tenor capable of singing the part of Arnold, especially after Gilbert-Louis Dupre remade many of the extra-high before into “chest” notes, whereas for Nurri, who sang at the premiere, these notes were “head” or falsetto.

Rossini did not approve of Dupre’s reform (which, on the contrary, the public liked so much) and told him about this quite frankly: “I don’t like unnatural effects, and this before with its harsh timbre it jars on my Italian ears, like the squeal of a capon when it is being slaughtered.” In addition, the unbalanced vocal texture of this tenor part serves to characterize the hero, who has not yet found a place in the whirlpool of life and feels dissatisfied. The news of his father's death, brought by Wilhelm and Walter, causes Arnold's stormy vocal line, with unexpected leaps and bold patterns, to soar to the highest peaks. Friends encourage him to devote himself to the fight for the freedom of his native land. The change in Arnold's soul is fully marked by the music, his voice drowning out the softly modulating voices of his friends who sympathize with him.

The tenor part especially stands out in the opera and almost surpasses in importance the part of the main character, William Tell, who, however, owns the most famous aria: in it he begs his son to endure a terrible test. This is “truly a cry of the soul, suffering and full of love,” writes Roncaglia, “accompanied by the cry of the cello... Before us is an aria, but it is devoid of the usual structure, representing a pure melodic recitation. There is no stanza here, but the rhythmically perfect musical period flows calmly, humbly, the melody flows naturally and constantly varying: a real endless melody.” Tell's aria is a monument that stands apart, perhaps unexpected, which the opera did not promise and is therefore even more surprising. It affects not only the audience, but also the characters themselves, who eventually explode in anger.

Another famous aria, included in all anthologies, belongs to Matilda (its background is remarkable - a magical forest landscape illuminated by the moon); it is full of imperious, flexible melodic beauty, which Berlioz considered a role model. This is an internal portrait of the heroine. The sad, wavering, descending line of orchestral accompaniment is intertwined with the lines of the main melodic pattern - one of the broadest, smoothest and most coherent in the history of musical drama. The insistent, agitated rhythm eventually becomes part of humble contemplation rather than anxiety, although signs of hidden suffering remain, as suggested by the restless alternation of the main motive in the orchestra and the menacing rumbling of the timpani.

Faith in nature as a judge of the actions of individuals or society is one of the pillars of a powerful operatic structure. There is no need to remind us how important the amazing overture, consisting of four parts, is in this regard - an independent symphonic structure, almost not operatic. And Berlioz’s remark about its second movement depicting a storm, which he compares with Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” and says that in the latter one can hear the genuine revelry of natural elements, is not very justified, while in Rossini the presence of his own personality is too noticeable.

But this is done precisely in order to give Rossini’s introduction the right direction, to make it a reflection of the national character, sharing the desire of his people for freedom and participating in his drama (it is no coincidence that in Italy, Germany and Russia “Tell” was not approved by reactionary censorship) . The projection of all events onto such a panorama contributes to the creation of bright choral, accompanying, visually symphonic pages and magnificent dances, in which one can feel the desire to move away from old forms. “Rossini’s fantasy is always free,” concludes Roncaglia, “the composer chooses, changes, develops, polishes: a huge amount of work... which probably cost him a lot of effort and which would have been enough for twenty years of work.”

The French did not appreciate such a mature work: at the Paris Royal Academy of Music (or at the Grand Opera, whatever) after fifty performances the opera was resumed with large cuts (only the second act, considered the best, remained untouched). The discoveries of William Tell laid the foundations of French grand opera, but its greatness makes it more the result of this movement than the starting point.

G. Marchesi (translated by E. Greceanii)

History of creation

The basis for Rossini's William Tell was the drama of the same name by the great German poet F. Schiller. The nature of the plan was influenced by the composer’s study of the opera by A. Grétry (1741-1813) of the same name (based on Lemierre’s play), as well as the heroic-revolutionary opera “Fenella” by F. Aubert (1782-1871), which was performed in 1828 in Paris with a huge success. A number of people took part in the creation of the libretto, of which the largest role was played by V. Etienne (Jouy) (1764-1846) and I. Bis (1789-1855), both experienced theater writers, especially the first, who fruitfully collaborated with many French opera composers . Rossini's opera included the most dramatic scenes from Schiller's play. At the same time, the psychological subtlety of the motivations for the actions of the characters in the play turned out to be largely lost. The authors of the script changed the names and nationalities of a number of characters, shortened some of them (for example, Tell only has one son left in the opera), etc.

The opera premiered on August 3, 1829 in Paris. The unusual interpretation of the theme and the novelty of the musical style initially caused a reserved reception among the Parisian public, but soon Rossini’s remarkable work was appreciated and entered the repertoire of opera houses in many countries around the world.

Music

M. Druskin

This composition is the pinnacle of Rossini's work. The opera synthesizes all the best aspects of his talent. The romantic spirit is combined with subtle lyricism, Italian melodiousness with Swiss folk melodies. The ensembles and choirs are wonderful. Among the best episodes: the overture, the terzetto “Quand l’Helvetie” and the finale of the 2nd episode (scene in Rütli). The premiere was met with restraint; the public was unable to understand the innovative essence of the work. However, the opera soon took a strong place in the theater repertoire, despite the technical difficulties of the production (Gobbi vividly writes about them in his book “The World of Italian Opera”). The French libretto was translated into Italian, and since then the opera has existed in 2 versions. It was staged in Russia in 1838 (due to censorship reasons it was called “Karl the Bold”). Battistini shone in the title role at the turn of the century. In the 20th century it was successfully sung by Gobbi, Milnes, and Zancanaro. Among modern productions, we note the performances at La Scala (1988, in the title role of Zancanaro) and at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro (1995). During the war years, the opera was staged at the Bolshoi Theater (1942, Kuibyshev).

Discography: CD - Italian version - Decca. Conducted by Chailly, Tell (Milnes), Mathilde (Freni), Arnold (Pavarotti), Walter (Ghiaurov) - French version - EMI. Conductor Gardelli, Tell (Baquier), Mathilde (Caballier), Arnold (Gyaurov), Walter (Kovach).

For a long time he was considered a historical figure. The authenticity of the Tell legend is now disputed.

The Tale of William Tell

The story of William Tell was first described in the twilight of the second part of the chronicle The White Book of Sarnen by the Obwalden scribe Hans Schrieber in the second half of the 15th century. The cruel governor (vogt) of the German emperor in Switzerland Albrecht (or Hermann) Gessler hung the hat of the Austrian Duke on a pole in the square of the city of Altdorf and gave the order that everyone passing should bow to the hat. The young peasant Tell, known as an excellent shooter, did not fulfill this order, and Gessler, as punishment, forced him to shoot with a crossbow at an apple placed on the head of the shooter’s son. Tell successfully completed the task, but then he admitted that if he had hit his son, he would have killed Gessler with another arrow. According to another version, in case of failure, Tell would have killed himself with a second arrow. He was sent to prison, but he escaped to the mountains. He waylaid Gessler on the road between the rocks and killed him with an arrow. Chronologically, this event is confined to the city.

Legendary arrows among other nations

The Slavic world is no stranger to the tale of a skilled marksman like Tell. In the Bulgarian legend, the hero bears the name of the main hero of the modern Greek heroic epic Digenis. Serbian legends were included in the song about the marriage of Dušan (in Vuk Karadžić, vol. II, ed., pp. 132-154) and in the song about the marriage of Turč Smederevc (ib. -). In Ukraine, a legend entered the Khanenkov family history: Danilo Khanenko knocked off the headdress of a beautiful Cossack woman with a bullet and married her.

Legend or history?

The tales of the skillful marksman apparently contain some mythological features, which gave rise to German scientists, especially Ernst-Ludwig Rochholtz, to look for their main source in mythology - in other words, to see in them one of the countless allegorical expressions of the struggle winter with summer with the final victory of the latter. Rochholtz chose the words of the 14th-century writer as the epigraph to the first chapter of his study of William Tell, entitled “Die Naturmythe und die historisch gewordene Sage.” Conrad von Amenghausen: “ich will dir goute maere sagen, hin sont wir den winter jagen”, that is, “I will tell you a good story about how we drove away winter.” As mythological features indicate extraordinary shooting accuracy, the apple - as a symbol of the sun, arrows - as a common symbol of the sun's rays and lightning. At the same time, such parallels are cited as Hindu legends about the skillful shooting of Indra, striking Vritra, Greek legends about the destructive arrows of Apollo, Scandinavian legends about the solar gods Ulla, Hoenir, and Heimdall armed with arrows. The mythological nature of the plot is supported by the Serbian song about Dusan’s marriage, where the hero Milos Voinovich appears as a solar hero. When he drove up to the beautiful Roksanda and threw his cloak off his shoulder, “the cloth and velvet shone; the armor (or silver plates) on the chest and the gilded buckles on the boots shone; Milosh shone in the green field, like a bright sun in the sky, and he walked along the green grass, scattering rings and rings, small beads and precious stones on it.”

In literature and ideology

The most famous work about William Tell was Schiller's drama of the same name and Rossini's opera based on it. Although Schiller emphasizes the conservative aspects of the legend - the Swiss fighting for ancestral customs and rights - his play was perceived as a glorification of the struggle for national independence and tyrannicide. It was prohibited in the Third Reich. [ ] William Tell is mentioned by Alphonse Daudet in “Tartarin of Tarascon”, in Russian literature by A. N. Radishchev and Vlas Doroshevich. Max Frisch in his book “William Tell for School” (1971) created an anti-legend, making the Habsburg governor Gessler, rather than Tell, a positive character. The latter, according to Frisch, sought a compromise and did not want to aggravate relations with his subjects, and the Swiss hero was a gloomy, narrow-minded mountaineer who was afraid of change and treacherously killed Vogt.

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Notes

Excerpt characterizing William Tell

Half an hour later, an old lady in hoops appeared in the hall between the other mummers - it was Nikolai. Petya was Turkish. Payas was Dimmler, hussar was Natasha and Circassian was Sonya, with a painted cork mustache and eyebrows.
After condescending surprise, lack of recognition and praise from those not dressed up, the young people found that the costumes were so good that they had to show them to someone else.
Nikolai, who wanted to take everyone along an excellent road in his troika, proposed, taking ten dressed up servants with him, to go to his uncle.
- No, why are you upsetting him, the old man! - said the countess, - and he has nowhere to turn. Let's go to the Melyukovs.
Melyukova was a widow with children of various ages, also with governesses and tutors, who lived four miles from Rostov.
“That’s clever, ma chère,” the old count picked up, getting excited. - Let me get dressed now and go with you. I'll stir up Pashetta.
But the countess did not agree to let the count go: his leg hurt all these days. They decided that Ilya Andreevich could not go, but that if Luisa Ivanovna (m me Schoss) went, then the young ladies could go to Melyukova. Sonya, always timid and shy, began to beg Luisa Ivanovna more urgently than anyone not to refuse them.
Sonya's outfit was the best. Her mustache and eyebrows suited her unusually. Everyone told her that she was very good, and she was in an unusually energetic mood. Some inner voice told her that now or never her fate would be decided, and she, in her man’s dress, seemed like a completely different person. Luiza Ivanovna agreed, and half an hour later four troikas with bells and bells, squealing and whistling through the frosty snow, drove up to the porch.
Natasha was the first to give the tone of Christmas joy, and this joy, reflected from one to another, intensified more and more and reached its highest degree at the time when everyone went out into the cold, and, talking, calling to each other, laughing and shouting, sat in the sleigh.
Two of the troikas were accelerating, the third was the old count’s troika with an Oryol trotter at the root; the fourth is Nikolai's own with his short, black, shaggy root. Nikolai, in his old woman's outfit, on which he put on a hussar's belted cloak, stood in the middle of his sleigh, picking up the reins.
It was so light that he saw the plaques and eyes of the horses glinting in the monthly light, looking back in fear at the riders rustling under the dark awning of the entrance.
Natasha, Sonya, m me Schoss and two girls got into Nikolai’s sleigh. Dimmler and his wife and Petya sat in the old count’s sleigh; Dressed up servants sat in the rest.
- Go ahead, Zakhar! - Nikolai shouted to his father’s coachman in order to have a chance to overtake him on the road.
The old count's troika, in which Dimmler and the other mummers sat, squealed with their runners, as if frozen to the snow, and rattled a thick bell, moved forward. The ones attached to them pressed against the shafts and got stuck, turning out the strong and shiny snow like sugar.
Nikolai set off after the first three; The others made noise and screamed from behind. At first we rode at a small trot along a narrow road. While driving past the garden, shadows from bare trees often lay across the road and hid the bright light of the moon, but as soon as we left the fence, a diamond-shiny snowy plain with a bluish sheen, all bathed in a monthly glow and motionless, opened up on all sides. Once, once, a bump hit the front sleigh; in the same way, the next sleigh and the next were pushed and, boldly breaking the chained silence, one after another the sleighs began to stretch out.
- A hare's trail, a lot of tracks! – Natasha’s voice sounded in the frozen, frozen air.
– Apparently, Nicholas! - said Sonya's voice. – Nikolai looked back at Sonya and bent down to take a closer look at her face. Some completely new, sweet face, with black eyebrows and mustaches, looked out from the sables in the moonlight, close and far.
“It was Sonya before,” thought Nikolai. He looked at her closer and smiled.
- What are you, Nicholas?
“Nothing,” he said and turned back to the horses.
Having arrived on a rough, large road, oiled with runners and all covered with traces of thorns, visible in the light of the moon, the horses themselves began to tighten the reins and speed up. The left one, bending its head, twitched its lines in jumps. The root swayed, moving its ears, as if asking: “should we start or is it too early?” – Ahead, already far away and ringing like a thick bell receding, Zakhar’s black troika was clearly visible on the white snow. Shouting and laughter and the voices of those dressed up were heard from his sleigh.
“Well, you dear ones,” Nikolai shouted, tugging on the reins on one side and withdrawing his hand with the whip. And only by the wind that had become stronger, as if to meet it, and by the twitching of the fasteners, which were tightening and increasing their speed, was it noticeable how fast the troika flew. Nikolai looked back. Screaming and screaming, waving whips and forcing the indigenous people to jump, the other troikas kept pace. The root steadfastly swayed under the arc, not thinking of knocking down and promising to push again and again when necessary.
Nikolai caught up with the top three. They drove down some mountain and onto a widely traveled road through a meadow near a river.
“Where are we going?” thought Nikolai. - “It should be along a slanting meadow. But no, this is something new that I have never seen. This is not a slanting meadow or Demkina Mountain, but God knows what it is! This is something new and magical. Well, whatever it is!” And he, shouting at the horses, began to go around the first three.
Zakhar reined in the horses and turned around his face, which was already frozen to the eyebrows.
Nikolai started his horses; Zakhar, stretching his arms forward, smacked his lips and let his people go.
“Well, hold on, master,” he said. “The troikas flew even faster nearby, and the legs of the galloping horses quickly changed. Nikolai began to take the lead. Zakhar, without changing the position of his outstretched arms, raised one hand with the reins.
“You’re lying, master,” he shouted to Nikolai. Nikolai galloped all the horses and overtook Zakhar. The horses covered the faces of their riders with fine, dry snow, and near them there was the sound of frequent rumblings and the tangling of fast-moving legs and the shadows of the overtaking troika. The whistling of runners through the snow and women's squeals were heard from different directions.
Stopping the horses again, Nikolai looked around him. All around was the same magical plain soaked through with moonlight with stars scattered across it.
“Zakhar shouts for me to take a left; why go left? thought Nikolai. Are we going to the Melyukovs, is this Melyukovka? God knows where we are going, and God knows what is happening to us - and it is very strange and good what is happening to us.” He looked back at the sleigh.
“Look, he has a mustache and eyelashes, everything is white,” said one of the strange, pretty and alien people with a thin mustache and eyebrows.
“This one, it seems, was Natasha,” thought Nikolai, and this one is m me Schoss; or maybe not, but I don’t know who this Circassian with the mustache is, but I love her.”
-Aren't you cold? - he asked. They did not answer and laughed. Dimmler shouted something from the back sleigh, probably funny, but it was impossible to hear what he was shouting.
“Yes, yes,” the voices answered laughing.
- However, here is some kind of magical forest with shimmering black shadows and sparkles of diamonds and with some kind of enfilade of marble steps, and some kind of silver roofs of magical buildings, and the piercing squeal of some animals. “And if this really is Melyukovka, then it’s even stranger that we were traveling God knows where, and came to Melyukovka,” thought Nikolai.
Indeed, it was Melyukovka, and girls and lackeys with candles and joyful faces ran out to the entrance.
- Who it? - they asked from the entrance.
“The counts are dressed up, I can see it by the horses,” answered the voices.

Pelageya Danilovna Melyukova, a broad, energetic woman, wearing glasses and a swinging hood, was sitting in the living room, surrounded by her daughters, whom she tried not to let get bored. They were quietly pouring wax and looking at the shadows of the emerging figures when the footsteps and voices of visitors began to rustle in the hallway.
Hussars, ladies, witches, payassas, bears, clearing their throats and wiping their frost-covered faces in the hallway, entered the hall, where candles were hastily lit. The clown - Dimmler and the lady - Nikolai opened the dance. Surrounded by screaming children, the mummers, covering their faces and changing their voices, bowed to the hostess and positioned themselves around the room.

The play takes place in three “forest cantons” - Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden, which, united in 1291, formed the basis of the Swiss Union in the struggle against the Austrian rule of the Habsburgs.

It is hard for ordinary people who suffer from the arbitrariness of the governors of the Austrian emperor - the Fochts. A villager from Unterwalden, Baumgarten, had his wife nearly dishonored by the commandant of the fortress. Baumgarten killed him and he had to flee from the Landsvoht soldiers. During a storm, at the risk of his life, the daredevil William Tell helps him cross the lake. Thus he avoids persecution.

In the canton of Schwyz, the peasant Werner Stauffacher is grieving. He is threatened by the governor of the region. He promises to deprive him of his home and household just because he didn’t like how well he lives. Werner's wife advises him to go to Uri, where there will also be people dissatisfied with the power of the foreign Vohts. Even though she is a woman, she understands that in the fight against a common enemy we must unite.

In the house of a respected man in Uri, Werner Fürst, Arnold Melchthal from Unterwalden is hiding from the Landenberg commander. By order of the governor, they wanted to take away a pair of oxen from him, resisting, he broke the finger of an Austrian soldier and was forced, like a criminal, to flee from his home. Then his father’s eyes were gouged out for his son’s offense, everything was taken away, he was given a staff and allowed to wander under people’s windows.

But the people's patience has run out. In the house of Werner Furst, Melchtal, Stauffacher and the owner himself agree on the beginning of joint actions. Each of them will go to their villagers and discuss the state of affairs with them, and then ten reliable men from each canton will gather to work out a joint decision in the mountains, in the Rütli clearing, where the borders of the three cantons meet.

The ruling baron of these places, Attinghausen, does not support the power of the Landsvohts either. He dissuades his nephew Rudenz from entering the Austrian service. The old baron guesses that the real reason that prompted his nephew to make such a shameful decision is love for the wealthy Austrian heiress Bertha von Bruneck, but this is not a serious reason for a man to betray his homeland. Confused by his uncle's insight, Rudenz does not find an answer, but still leaves the castle.

The villagers of Schwyz, Unterwalden and Uri gather in the Rütli clearing. They make an alliance. Everyone understands that they cannot reach an agreement with the Austrian governors through peaceful means, so it is necessary to develop a precise plan of military action. First you need to capture the castles of Rosberg and Sarnen. It will be easy to get into Sarnen at Christmas, when, according to tradition, it is customary for the villagers to give gifts to the Fohtu. Melchtal will show you the way to the Rosberg fortress. He knows a maid there. When two castles are captured, lights will appear on the tops of the mountains - this will serve as a signal for the people's militia to move out. Seeing that the people are armed, the soldiers will be forced to leave Switzerland. The peasants take an oath of allegiance in the fight for freedom and disperse.

William Tell, whose home is in the mountains, remains aloof from the main events taking place in the villages. He does household chores. Having repaired the gate, he goes with one of his sons to his father-in-law, Walter Fürst, in Altorf. His wife Hedwig doesn't like it. Gesler, the emperor's viceroy, is there, but he doesn't like them. In addition, Tell recently met Gesler by chance alone while hunting and witnessed how scared he was of him, “he will never forget the shame.”

Tell's road leads him to the square in Altorf, where there is a hat on a pole, to which, by order of Landsfoht Gesler, all passers-by must bow. Without noticing her, the Alpine shooter and his son pass by, but the soldiers standing guard detain him and want to take him to prison because he did not honor the hat. The villagers stand up for Tell, but then Gesler and his retinue appear. Having found out what the matter is, he invites the Alpine shooter to knock the apple off his son’s head with an arrow, or he and his son will face death. The villagers and Walter Fürst, who came up, persuade Gesler to change his decision - the Landsfoht is adamant. Then Tell's son, Walter, stands up himself and puts the apple on his head. William Tell shoots and knocks down an apple. Everyone is touched, but Gesler asks the shooter why he took out two arrows before taking aim. Wilhelm frankly admits that if the first shot had killed his son, then the second arrow would have pierced Gesler. Landvokht orders Tell's arrest.

On a boat, the Landvocht and his soldiers set off across the lake to deliver William Tell to the canton of Küsnacht. A storm begins, the soldiers of the Focht throw their oars, then Gesler invites the shooter to steer the boat. They untie him, he brings the boat closer to the shore and jumps out onto the rocks. Now Tell is going to go through the mountains to Kusnacht.

Baron Attinghausen dies in his castle, surrounded by villagers from three mountain cantons. They love their master, he has always been a reliable support for them. The old man says that he is leaving this world with sadness in his heart, because his peasants remain “orphans” without him, there will be no one to protect them from foreigners. Then ordinary people reveal to him the secret that they have concluded an alliance of three cantons on Rütli and will fight together against imperial tyranny. The Baron rejoices that his homeland will be free, only the indifference of the nobles to what is happening darkens him, but he dies with the hope that the knights will also take an oath of allegiance to Switzerland. The baron's nephew, Rudenz, runs in; he was late to the dying man's bed, but over the body of the deceased he swears allegiance to his people. Rudenz reports that he is aware of the decision made at Rütli, but the hour of the speech must be accelerated. Tell became the first victim of delay, and his bride, Bertha von Bruneck, was kidnapped. He asks the peasants to help him find and free her.

Tell is waiting for Gesler in ambush on the mountain path leading to Kusnacht. Besides him, there are also peasants here who hope to get an answer to their petitions from the Focht. Gesler appears, the woman rushes to him, begging for her husband’s release from prison, but then Tell’s arrow overtakes him, the landvokht dies with the words: “This is Tell’s shot.” Everyone rejoices at the death of the tyrant.

Signal fires are lit on the tops of the mountains, the people of Uri arm themselves and rush to destroy the fortress of Igo Uri in Altdorf - a symbol of the power of the Austrian Landvochts. Walter Fürst and Melchtal appear on the street, who says that at night Ulrich Rudenz captured Sargen Castle with a surprise attack. He and his detachment, as planned, made their way to Rosberg, captured it and set it on fire. It turned out that Bertha von Bruneck was in one of the rooms of the castle. Rudenz arrived in time and threw himself into the fire, and as soon as he carried his bride out of the castle, the rafters collapsed. Melchtal himself overtook his offender Landenberg, whose men had blinded his father. He wanted to kill him, but his father begged him to let the criminal go. Now he is already far away from here.

The people celebrate the victory, the hat on the pole becomes a symbol of freedom. A messenger appears with a letter from the widow of Emperor Albrecht, Elizabeth. The emperor was killed, his killers managed to escape. Elizabeth requests the extradition of the criminals, the main one of whom is the emperor’s own nephew, the Swabian Duke John. But no one knows where he is.

In Tell's house, a wandering monk asks for shelter. Recognizing Tell as the shooter who killed the imperial landvokht, the monk takes off his cassock. He is the emperor's nephew, it was he who killed Emperor Albrecht. But contrary to John’s expectations, William is ready to drive him out of his house, because “selfish murder” for the throne cannot be compared with “father’s self-defense.” However, the kind Tell is unable to push away the inconsolable man, and therefore, in response to all John’s requests for help, he shows him the way through the mountains to Italy, to the Pope, who alone can help the criminal find the path to consolation.

The play ends with a national holiday. The villagers of the three cantons rejoice at freedom and thank Tell for getting rid of the Landvoht. Bertha announces to Rudents her consent to marry him, and on the occasion of a general holiday, he gives freedom to all his serfs.

Retold

HISTORY OF CREATION

PLOT

MUSIC

Characters:

History of creation

Music

The Tale of William Tell

Legendary arrows among other nations

Legend or history?

In literature and ideology

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Notes

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Excerpt characterizing William Tell

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