Wilhelm (William) Tell - Overture

At 30 years old Rossini wrote his last opera. The most successful opera writer of his time retired from composing music and moved to Paris for a life of indulgence and making gourmet dinners for his friends. This last opera was "Wilhelm Tell", and its overture became his most famous one. The overture starts with an introduction in the cellos, followed by the violins and the woodwinds, beginning a musical description of the rebellion. The middle section presents Switzerland's quiet, serene mountains. In the last part, the trumpet makes cheering sounds and the horns answer it. The concluding march declares the great victory.

Rossini's brilliant arrangement and genius orchestration show up in every single note. But Rossini's catchy tunes are his winning card, both in his operas and in his symphonic music. Shostakovich, who tried to mock and ridicule him, quoted "Wilhelm Tel" in his 15th Symphony. He mocked the popular music Rossini represented in his writing, loved by music fans; Shostakovich was in fact considered "Russian Rossini" as a young man, for the exact same quality - melodic ability, that brought him popularity among the masses.