Rossini William Tell opera to a libretto by Étienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Bis. Directed 2015 by Damiano Michieletto at the Royal Opera House. Stars Gerald Finley (Guillaume Tell), Malin Byström (Mathilde), John Osborn (Arnold Melchtal), Enkelejda Shkosa (Hedwige), Sofia Fomina (Jemmy), Eric Halfvarson (Melcthal), Nicolas Courjal (Gesler), Alexander Vinogradov (Walter Furst), Michael Colvin (Rodolphe), Samuel Dale Johnson (Leuthold), and Enea Scala (Ruodi). Antonio Pappano conducts the Royal Opera Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (Chorus Director Renato Balsadonna; Co-Concert Master Sergey Levitin). Set design by Paolo Fantin; costume design by Carla Teti; lighting design by Alessandro Carletti. Directed for the screen by Jonathan Haswell. Sung in French. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
This is the production with the controversial rape scene that was toned down a bit after opening night. It's part of the Royal Opera House Collection.
Richard Osborne in the October 2017 Gramophone (page 99) draws and quarters Michieletto over this production stating that the rape scene was bad, but "the virtual rape of the opera itself was the greater offense" and that this was "director's opera at its most dire." But Fred Cohn in the February 2018 Opera News at pages 52-53 approves of Michieletto's "gritty" production on the grounds that the updating serves to prevent a modern audience from thinking Tell is "a kind of Tyrolean romance, decorative and nonthreatening." Cohn also praises the singers, the chorus, and Pappano's directing of the orchestra.
Here is a trailer from the ROH:
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