William Tell, Guillaume Tell: Character Map
William Tell, Guillaume Tell: Roles
| Guillaume Tell | baritone | |
| Arnold Melchtal | tenor | |
| Mathilde | a Habsburg princess | soprano |
| Jemmy | Son of Tell | soprano |
| Hedwige | Tell’s wife | mezzo-soprano |
| Melchtal | Arnold’s father | bass |
| Gesler | the Austrian Governor | bass |
| Walter Furst | bass | |
| Ruodi | a fisherman | tenor |
| Leuthold | a shepherd | bass |
- Native title: Guillaume Tell
- Composers: Gioachino Rossini
- Librettist: Étienne de Jouy, Hippolyte Bis
- Based on: Wilhelm Tell by Friedrich Schiller
- Language: French
- Premiere: August 3, 1829, Salle Le Peletier, Paris
- Running time: 4 hours (Act 1: 80 minutes, Act 2: minutes, Act 3: 65 minutes, Act 4: 45 minutes)
William Tell, Guillaume Tell: Short Synopsis
Events before the main story
Austria ruled Switzerland. Arnold, a Swiss, accidentally helps Mathilde, a Habsburg princess, and falls in love with her.
Guillaume Tell
The Austrian army has been brutalizing the Swiss villagers. Arnold’s father, an elder, is a prisoner. Arnold and Mathilde are reunited. They learned of the death of Arnold’s father and decided to part ways.
On the day of the festival, the Austrian Governor Gesler orders the Swiss to salute the hat he has placed on the altar. William Tell refuses. Gesler caught Tell’s son. Gesler told Tell to apple on Tell’s son’s head and shoot it with a bow. Tell succeeds. Tell is found to have an arrow aimed at Gesler’s life and is ordered to jail.
Arnold decides that he must lead his people. A storm is approaching. Tell is the only one who can steer the ship through the storm. Together, They sink the Austrian ship.