Rossini - Guillaume Tell / Bacquier, Caballe, Gedda, Mesple, Kovacs, Howell, RPO, Gardelli

It is a very long work, and in spite of its length actually holds together quite well. As with all Rossini, there are little touches that simply make a scene, but don't draw any real attention to themselves. The vocal writing is much less florid than it was in his Italian operas, but no less moving. This opera was the opera that changed singing (at least for tenors) forever. It was in this opera that Dupres sang his famous high C from the chest (Nourrot, the creature of the role, sang it in head voice, and that is the only way Rossini liked hearing it; the public, however was hooked on the High C from the chest). We are hearing a wonderful performance in this recording, and it is virtually complete (including the ballet music). Each character is well sung, and for once we can actually understand French when it is sung. There is a difference in this French version and the Italian one with Pavarotti. In this version, Act 3, a duet occurs between Matilde and Arnold. In the Italian it becomes an aria for soprano with a tenor interjecting now and again. In the French it is a real duet, even with the very extended aria sections for the soprano. Caballe sings to perfection in this recording, and in my view, outshines Freni (who sings Matilde in the Italian version) by a long way.

However, the opera is judged (and Heaven knows why, for all the main characters are of equal importance, and with music of equal difficulty) not by the lead baritone (singing Tell), but by the tenor, Arnold. It was actually for want of a qualified tenor that a contralto premiered that role when it was first performed in Italian, shortly after the French Premiere. Gedda is getting on in years, sadly, but he is still a wonderful presences to recon with. He sings wonderfully, and with little strain, though the bloom of his youth is not there (and Arnold should be an ardent young man). In the Italian verions with Pavarotti, Arnoldo is sung with more raw energy, more abandon (suitable to Italian opera), but with less refinement. Gedda is still "THE ARNOLD."

There are other versions out there in French (one with Chris Merrit), but usually they are live performances, and well, for some reason the work does not hold together, nor does it seem to escape becoming boring. Usually this is because of the cuts that are used, which ruins the proper flow of the work. I would avoid the live recordings, even if they claim to be in French and "the world's first recording of it." The first recording of this magnificent opera in French is THIS RECORDING, and there are NONE others that come close to it in any way.

If you wish to really hear what Rossini wrote, and come to understand what he was intending to do, this is the recording to buy. Fair warning, though, the work is extremely long (though not longer than Wagner) and until you are fully comfortable with the style, listen to it in installments. Then when the work is deeply set in your heart, you can listen to the entire thing non-stop, and truly enjoy one of the most wonderful operas that was ever written for the Paris Opera.