Drama in 3 Acts [solos,ch,orch] Text: Michel-Jean Sedaine

Duration: full-length

Persons: Wilhelm Tell (T) his wife (S) young Tell (S) Marie, his sister (S) Melchtal (Bar) Melchtal's son(T) Gessler (Bar) 2 men of the people, soldier (BBB) tavellor (T) tavellor's wife / tavellors' young children / Surlemann / old man / 2 officers/ 2 soldiers (speakers)
choir: SSATB/SSS/ATB
orchestra: 1(Picc).2.2.2. 2.3cornet.2.0.0. timp.small drum str

Althoug Grétry cannot escape the shadow of Wagner and Verdi, there is a clear trend favoring a reevaluation of this composer.

The opera was greeted with exceptional enthusiasm in Paris in 1791, during the French Revolution. The Swiss freedom fighter was already a well-known character there nearly 15 years before Schillers drama. A number of arias from Grétrys opera even survived the success of Rossinis work of the same name of 1829.