ROSSINI: WILLIAM TELL (IN FRENCH) - PAPPANO (3 CDs)

Rossini's complete final French Grand Opera William Tell in its definitive critical edition brough vividly to life by Antonio Pappano, Orchestra e coro dellâ Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under his musical directorship and a stellar international cast.

Recorded live in concerts in October and December 2010 at the Accademia's home Auditorium Parco della Musica led by Canadian baritone Gerald Finley in the title role and American tenor John Osborn, discovered by Antonio Pappano for this recording, in the notoriously challenging high role of Arnold of which he is a rare exponent.

Rossini’s opera established the structure of Grand Opera in separate scenes which was used by Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi. The music Rossini wrote for Arnold took operatic tenor singing style out of “chest” and “falsetto” (for the high notes), as was the norm until then, creating the powerful extended full vocal range we know today and which continues to make Italianate operatic tenor singing so thrilling.

The work had a huge influence on music history and is a fitting one for Pappano to champion in his active role as presenter of the history of opera by Italian composers from the beginning to the 20th century.

Gerald Finley (Guillaume Tell), John Osborn (Arnaud), Malin Byström (Mathilde), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Hedwige), Matthew Rose (Walter Furst), Frédéric Caton (Melchtal), Elena Xanthoudakis (Jemmy), Carlo Cigni (Gesler), Carlo Bosi (Rodolphe), Celso Albelo (Ruodi), Dawid Kimberg (Leuthold), Davide Malvestio (Un Chasseur)

Orchestra e coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano