Ahead of the new season at New National Theatre, Tokyo, Kazushi Ono discusses his programming, which includes the new production of William Tell, opening on 20 November
‘Guillaume Tell, or William Tell, is an opera seria based on Schiller's play and was the last opera written by Rossini. It was composed over a period of five months. Normally people would think he took 'only' five months, but as Rossini had previously dashed off works in a few days, he took an unusually long time to compose this opera.
Guillaume Tell is a historical drama, in which Austria and Switzerland are enemies, with Tell representing the Swiss villagers and Gesler representing the Austrians. It is an unprecedented opera in that it is a romantic work with a very realistic subject matter - the conflict between countries and communities. It was first performed in 1829 when Rossini was 37. This was two years after Beethoven's death, and in the history of opera, it is seen as a highly symbolic Romantic Opera written just after what could be considered the end of the Classical Era.
One of the main characteristics of Guillaume Tell is the length of the performance. If the score is performed as it is, it would take more than four hours, so we are currently looking into how we can shorten it. However, even though it is long, the music is light and easy to listen to. Fidelio, for example, is only about two and a half hours long, including the intermission, but it will sound weightier than Guillaume Tell. In that sense, I think this opera has what makes Rossini Rossini.
For this performance, we have assembled an impressive line-up of singers well suited to Rossini. Baritone Gezim Myshketa is a specialist in the role of Guillaume Tell. At the NNTT, he performed with Eri Nakamura in La Traviata in 2022, where his characterisation was highly acclaimed. The role of Arnold is sung by René Barbera, who greatly enchanted us in La Cenerentola in 2021. Some of you may remember the great applause for encores at every performance. The role of Mathilde is played by Olga Peretyatko, who was captivating as Lucia in 2017. I have known her since she was in her twenties at the Hamburg Opera Studio, and I am delighted we have been able to invite her. The antagonist Gesler is sung by Hidekazu Tsumaya. In La Sonnambula, Tsumaya plays the role of Count Rodolfo, who comes between the young lovers, so he will be playing a role that divides people in two consecutive operas. It is the opposite of his personality (laughs), but I expect him to play this important role wonderfully.’
Read the rest of Kazushi Ono's NNTT season overview here.
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