CONTENT COURTESY VICTORIAN OPERA
Victorian Opera’s thrilling new production of Rossini’s William Tell (Guillaume Tell) marks the first time in more than a century that the epic opera, with its unmistakably iconic overture, has been staged in Australia.
Befitting its historic return, the masterpiece is the largest production in Victorian Opera’s history. Staged with grit and grandeur, the rarely performed opera will grip modern audiences with a dystopian costume design inspired by The Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale. A set evoking the Swiss Alps forms the backdrop to the conflict between a technologically superior conquering force and a simple rural community.
The opera focuses on the legendary tale of the sharp-shooting hero on a quest for freedom from tyrannical rule and the courage that victory demands.
Rossini’s William Tell overture is instantly recognisable and has been used and re-used throughout pop culture. Beyond the overture’s famed finale, the opera contains thrilling arias and ensembles, musical scene painting, and vocal virtuosity that highlight Rossini’s extraordinary talents as a composer. Premiering in Paris in 1829, William Tell marked his final opera following earlier triumphs such as The Barber of Seville and La Cenerentola.
As Victorian Opera’s largest production ever staged, William Tell has the highest international contingent, the biggest chorus (48 members) and the most costumes created for a single production. Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director Richard Mills conducts the legendary score, working alongside internationally acclaimed director Rodula Gaitanou (Royal Opera House, Opera Holland Park). London-based set and lighting designer Simon Corder and local costume designer Esther Marie Hayes collaborate to realise the production.
For the full series cast and crew, and to book your tickets for shows on 17 or 19 July, visit the Victorian Opera website.
Image supplied: Jeff Busby.
