The William Tell Overture is a piece for orchestra by the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini. It opens his opera about William Tell, the Swiss hero who shot an apple off his son’s head with a crossbow. The overture lasts about twelve minutes and has four scenes: a calm dawn, a storm, a shepherd’s tune, and a gallop. Many people know the gallop at the end, even if they do not know its name.
For a child, start with the last three minutes.
Quick facts
- Composer: Gioachino Rossini, from Italy
- First performed: 1829, in Paris
- Length: about twelve minutes
- Shape: four scenes played without a break
- Good to know: this was Rossini’s last opera, and he was 37
The four scenes
1. Dawn. Five cellos begin alone. They play a slow, rich tune, each with its own part. The double basses join underneath, and a drum rumbles like thunder far away. It is early morning in the Swiss mountains.
2. The storm. The violins start a quiet patter, and short notes on the flutes fall as the first drops of rain. Then the full orchestra crashes in with drums and brass. The storm passes as fast as it came, and the flute’s drops fade.
3. The call to the cows. An English horn plays a gentle, swaying tune. It is the kind of tune a Swiss herder played to call the cows home. A flute decorates it with quick, bird-like notes, and a triangle rings.
4. The gallop. A trumpet fanfare breaks in. Then the strings set off at a gallop, with a tune that bounces along at full speed. In the opera, this is the Swiss soldiers riding to free their land. It builds to a loud, joyful finish.
What to listen for
Five cellos. It is rare for an orchestra piece to begin with cellos alone. Watch a video to see them.
The first raindrops. In the storm, listen for three quick notes on the flute and piccolo, over and over.
The English horn. It is a larger, lower cousin of the oboe. Woodwind instruments for kids explains more.
The trumpet call. The fanfare is the signal that the gallop is about to begin.
Short, short, long. The gallop tune is built on a rhythm of two quick notes and a longer one. Clap it: da-da-DUM, da-da-DUM, da-da-DUM-DUM-DUM.
The story of William Tell
In the old Swiss tale, a cruel governor rules the land. He orders everyone to bow to his hat, which he has set on a pole. William Tell refuses. As a punishment, the governor makes Tell shoot an apple off his own son’s head with a crossbow. Tell splits the apple, and the boy is safe. Later, Tell leads the Swiss to drive the governor out.
Historians cannot say if William Tell was a real person. The Swiss count him as a national hero all the same.
Why adults know the gallop
In the 1900s, the gallop was the theme music for a popular radio and television show about a masked rider called the Lone Ranger. It has turned up in cartoons and commercials ever since. Many grandparents can sing it.
About Rossini
Rossini wrote 39 operas, including The Barber of Seville, and was the most famous opera composer of his day. After William Tell, he stopped writing operas. He lived for almost 40 more years, giving dinner parties and writing short pieces for his friends.
Things to do together
Ride. Gallop around the room on a pretend horse for the last scene. Pull up at the final chord.
Four pictures. Fold a page into four boxes. Draw the dawn, the storm, the cows, and the riders as each scene plays. A listening journal page works for one scene.
Weather report. Call out the weather as it changes: calm, rain, storm, clearing.
Clap the rhythm. Clap the gallop rhythm on your knees. Speed up until you cannot keep going.
Apple on the head. Tell the story with a stuffed animal and an apple. Skip the crossbow.
Words to know
Overture. A piece for orchestra played before an opera or a play begins.
Fanfare. A short, loud tune for brass that announces something.
Print and play
For more music that paints scenes, see classical music that tells a story. For the words for loud and soft, see dynamics in music for kids.
More guides are listed in classical music listening guides for kids.
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This article is part of Classical music listening guides for kids: famous pieces, one at a time.
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Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.