Download William Tell Lesson Plan Ideas

Finale to William Tell Overture/Rossini
William Tell Lesson Plan Ideas
1. Read one of the possible children’s literature stories to the class. Then go back to a particular
set of pages, perhaps using the illustration, have students choose timbres, dynamics, rhythms,
melodies, harmonies or tempos that might carry the meaning of the plot. Follow with how
composers of opera do the same thing. Listen to a portion of William Tell or another familiar
story like Peter and the Wolf and listen how composers tell a story with their music toolbox.
2. Using the listening chart provided in this booklet, have students point to the instruments heard
while they listen. Note that the first instrument shown is an English horn. This is the solo
instrument at the opening of our recording. The
English horn along with the flute take turns at the
beginning. Then as the trumpets and entire orchestra
join in, students will point to those.
3. Review a simple rhythm of quarter and eighth notes
in two 4/4 measures. Then have students improvise or compose different rhythms that will fill
two measures of 4/4 time. Then show the fast rhythm section of the William Tell Overture.
Have them practice the rhythm several times first, then add instruments. Once that is mastered,
have students increase the tempo until they can play along with the orchestra’s performance.
4. Listen to the entire overture. (Teaching ideas are also listed behind each.)

Prelude-a slow passage with low-pitch instruments such as cello and bass. Use this
section to describe the string family. Color pictures of the instruments putting small
booklets together of the different orchestra families.

Storm-energetic and loud sections played by the full orchestra. Integrate an art lesson
painting the various moods shown in the beginning, middle and end of this section. Put all
of the paintings together into one collage showing the order of the sections of the piece.
Don’t forget to include Wassily Kandinsky’s painting The Storm.

Ranz des vaches (call to the dairy cows)-features the English horn with quiet harmonies.
Since the setting for this is Switzerland, show pictures of the Alpine horns, the Alps, and
homes in the Alps. Swiss foods could also be served-chocolate, cheese, etc.

Finale-cavalry charge heralded by trumpets. Analyze the form of this section as ABA.
Have students create different physical actions for the A and B sections. Then they can
model them to the class or as a whole group to show kinesthetically where the sections
change.
5. Once the students know the melody and rhythm of the last portion of the overture, listen to
another performance of the overture-some in the extreme. Spike Jones made a recording of the
song on his compact disc Spike Jones: Greatest Hits (1999 by RCA Records). Though this
arrangement is quite different, it shows how melody and rhythm can stay the same, but can change
in different styles of music. Be sure to listen to it ahead of time to see if it is appropriate for your
1
Finale to William Tell Overture/Rossini
students’ level.
6. The William Tell Overture has also been used in a variety of other media, so show some of them.
The first Mickey Mouse cartoon made in color, The Band Concert, features the overture played by
many different animals and instruments. Warner Brothers has included it in such cartoons as
Wabbit Twouble and Yankee Doodle Daffy.
Gioacchino Rossini
1792-1868
Early in Life

Gioacchino Rossini was born on February 29, 1792

his father had run-ins with the government so he couldn’t serve as the town trumpeter and
slaughterhouse inspector

parents traveled from city to city, dad playing horn in the orchestra and mom singing in the
opera

young Rossini stayed with his grandma where he had little schooling, going his own way
with little guidance

by age 12, Rossini had composed some songs and arias and could play the cembalo
(harpsichord), horn, and viola
2
Finale to William Tell Overture/Rossini


parents returned setting up home in Bologna, Italy in 1804; young Rossini was enrolled in
music school
Rossini soon had to leave school to earn money for his family
Music Career

his first opera, La Cambia di Matrimonio, was used as a substitute for a last minute
cancellation; it had been written in three days, but was very successful

only three years out of the music conservatory, Rossini was well known and respected in
Venice and one of the most famous composers in Italy

while in Venice, Rossini composed The Barber of Seville-the first performance wasn’t
successful; the second night went much better; Rossini was twenty-four years old at the
time

Rossini grew tired of Venice, traveling to London there meeting with George IV, ending up
in France; there Charles X asked Rossini to be the royal composer

Rossini’s William Tell was first performed on August 3, 1829; audiences considered it too
long with a drawn out plot; this was his last opera
Later in Life

with the failure of William Tell, Rossini turned to writing sacred works and piano pieces

a collection of 180 piano works was gathered into one book called Peches de Vieillesse
which means ‘sins of my old age’

Rossini suffered from neurashenia (modern day chronic fatigue syndrome with anxiety),
bed ridden at one point for several years

later, on return to France, he was rejuvenated and at the center of social events

near the end of his life, Rossini suffered a heart attack; hearing he was very ill, the Pope
sent a special nuncio to Paris to be with him

Rossini died on November 13, 1868 and was buried in France, later, at the Italian
government’s request, he was exhumed and buried in the church of Santa Croce in
Florence, Italy
His Music

major works:
choral-many including Stabat Mater, Saul, Petite Messe Soennelle
opera-many including The Barber of Seville, Otello, William Tell
piano-many including Peches de Vieillesse

Rossini often plagiarized his own work, mixing music from an older opera with the ‘new’
one; sometimes he used the entire scores simply changing the words; The Barber of Seville
is one example–the overture was used in two other operas, five major numbers were taken
from other operas; sometimes he even had other composers write additional pieces
3
Finale to William Tell Overture/Rossini
William Tell
Basic Facts

it was composed as the planned first installment of five operas written while Rossini was
the royal composer for Charles X of France; Rossini never completed the other four

without any cuts, the opera takes six hours for a performance

it was not well received because of its length, long drawn out plot, and contained too many
dull stretches
The Overture

it begins with a slow section of cellos and basses on main theme to show sunrise over the
Swiss mountains

a fast section follows-the full orchestra building to a full storm

next is a slow part - pastorale scene in which the English horn has a gentle Swiss melody
called Ranz des Vaches(call to the dairy cows)--this is where our CD begins

trumpet fanfares brings the Swiss army

it ends with the exciting fiery music now tied to the Lone Ranger theme
The Libretto (plot)

based on Friedrich Schiller’s drama

Switzerland was controlled by the Austrians

William Tell wants freedom for his native Switzerland

during a party, Gessler (the Austrian leader), puts a hat on a pole and orders people to bow
down to it

William Tell refuses to bow down

Gessler challenges William Tell to the test of shooting an apple off his son’s head; he wins
but is still imprisoned

William Tell escapes, kills Gessler with an arrow, and frees Switzerland
4
Finale to William Tell Overture/Rossini
William Tell Overture
by Giocchino Rossini from the opera William Tell
5