Sunday Classics preview (2): Continuing the countdown to Rossini's "William Tell"

GESSLER: For whom did you intend this arrow?
WILLIAM TELL: For you, Gessler.

-- William Tell explainimg the second arrow that has fallen from his coat after he has accomplished the Austrian tyrant's challenge to shoot an apple off the head of his son; the governor is not amused

by Ken

We're still counting down to our all-too-brief look at Rossini's last opera, William Tell. Just to get us back in the mood, here's another performance of the famous Overture, this one by the Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by the one and only Arthur Fiedler (the trumpets take over at 8:41):



Now, here again are our seven recordings of Tell's instructions to his son, Jemmy, as he prepares both Jemmy and himself for the sadistic trial ordered by the Austrian governor, Gessler: to shoot an arrow through an apple set atop the boy's head. In last night's preview, I encouraged you to note the way Rossini begins this grandest of all his overtures. I trust it's not necessary to underline the aural association between this cello-dominated rumination and the solo cello that accompanies Tell's plea to his son.

This time the recordings are fully identified. I'll have more to say about some of them, at least, in tomorrow's official William Tell post. For now, I would just note that, listening through them, I found myself most moved by singers who might be described as "veterans" at the time of these recordings; my three favorite performances come from the four oldest singers in the group -- and I'm kind of coming around on the fourth. As for the built-in hint I mentioned, in case you haven't noticed, the singers appear in reverse alphabetical order, from Z to B. Originally I had them in alphabetical order, but for a couple of reasons I really didn't want Monsieur Bacquier leading off.

"Resta immobile" (English translation of the Italian text sung by all our baritones except Gabriel Bacquier)

Stay motionless, and toward the ground
bend one knee to pray.
Invoke God, invoke God,
that through His favor alone
you'll be able to return to the bosom of your father.
Remain like that with your gaze fixed toward heaven,
remain like that with your gaze fixed toward heaven.
You through love could tremble
seeing the sharp point hurling toward you;
a single movement could cost us your life --
Jemmy, Jemmy, think of your mother,
who's waiting here for us together.
Jemmy, Jemmy, think of your mother,
who's waiting here for us together.

(A) Giorgio Zancanaro, baritone (age 49)
Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala, Riccardo Muti, cond.
Complete opera, Philips live recording(also on video), Dec. 1988



(B) José van Dam, bass-baritone (age 52)
Loire Philharmonic Orchestra, Marc Soustrot, cond.
From The Great Italian Arias,Forlane, recorded Nov. 1992



(C) Giuseppe Taddei, baritone (age 35)
Orchestra of Italian Radio (Turin), Mario Rossi, cond.
Complete opera, Cetra broadcast recording,March 8, 1952



(D) Dmitri Hvorostovsky, baritone (age c31)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Ion Marin, cond.
From Songs of Love and Desire,Philips, recorded c1994



(E) Tito Gobbi, baritone (age 50)
Philharmonia Orchestra, Alberto Erede, cond.
From The Art of Tito Gobbi, EMI, recorded Nov. 1963 (available in EMI's The Very Best of Tito Gobbi)


(F) Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone (age 35)
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ferenc Fricsay, cond.
From Famous Arias from French and Italian Opera, DG, recorded Apr. 1961 (reissued in DG's Fischer-Dieskau "Original Masters" box)

"Sois immobile" (English translation of the original French text sung by Gabriel Bacquier)

Be motionless, and toward the ground
bend a supplicating knee.
Invoke God, invoke God.
It's he alone, my child,
who through the child can spare the father.
Remain like that, but look at the heavens,
remain like that, but look at the heavens.
By threatening this head so dear
that iron point could frighten your eyes.
The least movement, the least movement --
Jemmy, Jemmy, think of your mother.
She's waiting here for us both.
Jemmy, Jemmy, think of your mother.
She's waiting here for us both.

(G) Gabriel Bacquier, baritone (age 48)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Lamberto Gardelli, cond.
Complete opera (in French), EMI,recorded July-Sept. 1972



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