Rossini - Guglielmo Tell / Zancanaro, Merritt, Studer, Surjan, d'Intino, Muti, La Scala Opera

Apart from closeups the figures were impossible to distinguish. I didn't understand the set. Singing was very good. I couldn't watch it all because of the poor quality images.

The orchestra under the direction of Carlo Mutti is fantastic. The singing is superb. Unfortunately the ballet numbers are terrible, and the staging is atrocious. This is a difficult opera to stage, though, given the weak libretto. This would have been better as a CD to listen to rather than a DVD to watch.

This is a very good (although very long) opera. The singing and conducting are excellent. Unfortunately, the staging, which consists of a number of panels showing various Swiss type scenes with what looks like choir stalls in front of the panels, simply doesn't work. At best, it adds nothing; at worst it is a distraction. I would rate the singing 5 stars and the staging 2 stars. Since this long opera is less expensive on DVDs than on CDs, it is still a good buy in spite of it's shortcomings, even if you decide to close your eyes while you listen to it.

I'm grateful for this production as it is the only one available. The music is just fantastic...rich, varied, and occasionally transcendent. The one comment I will make (leaving the rest to others) is that Cheryl Studer is in poor voice. It is disappointing to hear the thin tentative tonal-trouble sound of a voice not in good health. Again though, I have to say that I am grateful and overall it gets my kudos. Yes its long...yes it is static at times, but the music, the music, the music, the music.

Staging: improbable stairs in the middle of the mountains (oh how I hate them as a stage prop)but gorgeous visuals. Stodgy but useful costumes, in keeping with the locale and the characters.Voices: Studer, Zacanaro and Merrit are simply amazing together. Of course, there is always an opera bedbug who starts with: "Although her voice was past its prime". Don't you believe it. A special mention must be made of Amellia Felle as Tell's boy, Jemmy and Luigi Roni as the villain, Gessler.. The remaining cast, uniformy excellent.Last but not least: it's the only production on DVD, folks, and worth acquiring both for its rarity and for its quality. Rosinni was not only stacatto; he was legato!

When it comes to "Gugliemo Tell," you can't beat this version. But one thing, it's unfortunate that it lacks Japanese subtitle. This letdown derogates from 5 stars. Four titles from Opus Arte, The Ring of the Nibelung, which feature an Oscar winning Eiko Ishioka as costume designer, carry Japanese title. So this version is the best of best.

what an awful production ! A complete mess with dreadful projections, static performance. i could not believe the Scala would put up such a bad show !

Very rare to find a complete recording of William Tell - 99% of them are just the overture and nothing else :-))).

Ricordavo perfettamente quanto riportato dalla critica e dagli esperti nel lontano 1988.E' esattamente quel che mi aspettavo!Semplicemente stupenda ivi compresa l'interpretazione di tutti gli artisti anche se all'apice metterei la passionale direzione del Maestro Muti.Le quattro stelle a cui potrei aggiungere anche un mezzo in più sono dovute ad una mia personale pignoleria:la preferisco cantata in francese!Posseggo i 3 CD della rappresentazione diretta dal Maestro Antonio Pappano a Roma e vi posso garantire che c'è una bella differenza.P.S. : potreste cortesemente informarmi dove e quando sarà rappresentata (all'aperto o in teatro che sia) nel 2017? Ci terrei a vederla direttamente.Grazie per la Vs. gentilezza e disponibilità.

This long Rossini opera is up to the usual standards of La Scala with a performance which is more suited to the stage than the video. In the Theatre the dark sombre lighting enhances the feeling of the mountains and the wild changing landscapes shown on the projections in the background throughout the performance.This combination is visually acceptable but does not help in focussing on the screen action which gives us a Rossini of dramatic performance. The only performance readily available is enjoyable to watch...poor old Gessler!!!

Rossini's music is wonderful, Muti's conducting is exemplay and vital, the corps de ballet is satisfactory but the scenography and stage direction are absolutely awful as are the dull and insipid costumes. Better to have this as a CD audio and avoid this horrible dreary and dreadful visual failure both in terms of the scenography and the disconnected and awkward stage action and movements. Difficult to watch, even though the music is distinguished. The best CD audio is: Rossini: Guglielmo TellRossini: Guglielmo Tell

I first heard a record of excerpts from Tell more than 50 years ago. Since then only the overture has been around. The beautiful active scenery of Switzerland provided an unusual but very interesting setting for the opera. The reasons for it's failure may be due to Italian audiences not being prepared for an opera of this magnitude especially from Rossini. The sheer beauty of the music and performances in this recording make Tell Rossini's ultimate masterpiece.

The everchanging photographs of the Swiss countryside as a backdrop were irritatingly distractive of whatever else was going on in this production. Also the rows of seats as in a court room or church where the greater part of the performance took place were dreary and added little to the atmosphere of the tale.The singers in general were unknown to me and although they may have been good in their own way, I found the performance so dull that I could scarcely watch the full first disc