11/24/18 – William Tell – 1pm
Opera Southwest
William Tell
- by Gioachino Rossini
- libretto by Victor-Joseph Étienne de Jouy and L. F. Bis
- Performed in French
OVERVIEW
William Tell – more than just an overture.
The last opera he ever wrote and considered Rossini’s magnum opus, William Tell tells the dramatic story of the Swiss legend. You’ve probably heard the overture while watching reruns of The Lone Ranger, and know the part where he shoots an apple off of his son’s head, but do you remember how he overthrew the tyrannical leader of Austria?
Experience the epic tale live, with baritone Sean Anderson at the helm of the drama and Maestro Anthony Barrese back in front of the orchestra. Called a piece “rendered with unquestionable superiority…” by Hector Berlioz, William Tell is not to be missed.
Opera Southwest has built a reputation among opera aficionados as an under-the-radar destination for exceptional performances of rarely performed operas, especially those by Rossini. Fittingly, their 2017-18 season opened with his William Tell. While the overture is instantly recognizable as the theme to the Lone Ranger, the complete opera is seldom performed and Opera Southwest mounted the New Mexico state premiere of the work at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Opera Southwest is Albuquerque’s opera company and its mission is to produce quality, professional, enjoyable and accessible opera in an intimate setting for audiences of all ages. Now in its 45th season, the company has produced over 120 major operas for hundreds of thousands of patrons, and is especially proud to have mounted 23 world premieres including an opera based on Rudolfo Anaya’s blockbuster novel Bless Me, Ultima, which premiered in February 2018.
Cast
Guillaume Tell / Sean Anderson
Hedwige / Claudia Chapa
Jemmy / Sharin Apostolou
Mathilde / Caroline Worra
Arnold Melcthal / Matthew Vickers
Gesler/Justin Hopkins
Walter Furst/Jeffrey Beruan
Leuthold/Paul Bower
Melcthal/Hans Tashjian
Ruodi/Xavier Prado Caceres
Rudolphe/Joseph Cordova
Conductor / Anthony Barrese
Stage Director / Nathaniel Merchant
