ANTONIO PAPPANO: ROSSINI - WILLIAM TELL (CD) IN SOUTH AFRICA

Rossini¿s complete final French Grand-Opéra Guillaume Tell in its definitive critical editionbrought vividly to life by Antonio Pappano, Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale diSanta Cecilia under his musical directorship and a stellar international cast.Recorded live in concerts in October and December 2010 at the Accademia¿s homeAuditorium Parco della Musica led by Canadian baritone Gerald Finlay in the title role andAmerican tenor John Osborn, discovered by Antonio Pappano for this recording, in thenotoriously 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 wasused by Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi. The music Rossini wrote for Arnold took operatictenor singing style out of ¿chest¿ and ¿falsetto¿ (for the high notes), as was the norm untilthen, creating the powerful extended full vocal range we know today and which continuesto make Italianate operatic tenor singing so thrilling.The work had a huge influence on music history and is a fitting one for Pappano tochampion in his active role as presenter of the history of opera by Italian composers fromthe beginning to the 20th century. RECORDING INFORMATION:Gioachino Rossini: Guillaume TellOpera in 4 Acts (Pesaro, 1792 - Passy, Parigi, 1868)Libretto by Victor Joseph Etienne De Jouy and Hippolyte Louis Florent Bis critical editionFondazione Rossini di Pesaro edited by Elizabeth C. BartletOrchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa CeciliaAntonio Pappano conductorCiro Visco Chorus masterRecorded in Concerts at Sala Santa Cecilia, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome; 16, 18& 20 October and 18, 20 & 21 December 2010