ROH 'William Tell'

[Flosshilde]

An aside, sort of. There has been criticism of the fact that there was booing during the performance. During the performance I saw there was plenty of applause (& I assume that there was at other performances), but there hasn't been any disaproving comment about that. Is that because it was for the singers? In other cultures it is/was acceptable (or accepted practice - not quite the same thing) to boo singers during the performance if they failed to satisfy.

[jean]

They don't applaud during the singing though, unless they're confusd over when the aria ends.

[David-G]

I only saw it in the cinema, but my experience couldnt be more different - and that includes my experience of the rest of the audience, who arrived determined to support the production and were cheering before the performance even started (do you think they were specially vetted, because the performance was to be relayed?)

Nobody booed the rape scene - indeed I don't see what reason you could possibly have for doing so, as there was no nudity, no sound from the actor who played the woman and as far as I could see, despite the obvious intentions of the soldiers, Tell snatched her away before any rape was perpetrated.

Perhaps in the cinema there was no sound from the woman, but in the theatre her whimpers were all too audible and I found them very distressing.

Last night, the only cheers before the performance started were for the conductor.

[Flosshilde]

Perhaps in the cinema there was no sound from the woman, but in the theatre her whimpers were all too audible and I found them very distressing.

Good acting?

[Giacomo]

I only saw it in the cinema, but my experience couldnt be more different - and that includes my experience of the rest of the audience, who arrived determined to support the production and were cheering before the performance even started

Before it started, so it wasn't an objective comment on the production.

Nobody booed the rape scene - indeed I don't see what reason you could possibly have for doing so, as there was no nudity, no sound from the actor who played the woman and as far as I could see, despite the obvious intentions of the soldiers, Tell snatched her away

The actress's pudenda was shown and her screams interrupted the music.

You need to understand how other people feel. Combine the offence with the fact the scene was gratuitous and still is even in modified form, it not being in the libretto, it was completely worthy of booing. The closest reference I can find is in Act 1 "Un soldat l'enlevait", a soldier abducted her, so no gang and no rape, certainly not in Act 3 and both the abduction and axe attack in Act 1 take place off stage.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

You need to understand how other people feel.

Kettle thanks Pot for his message.

[jean]

We need to distinguish between what was seen at the first performance and the scene as modified subsequently.

What I saw did not IMO deserve to be booed. I make no comment on what happened on the first night.

[underthecountertenor]

The "snatch" shown was the actress's.

I hope you will understand how I feel if I take great offence at your tasteless attempt at humour here.

[David-G]

We need to distinguish between what was seen at the first performance and the scene as modified subsequently.

What I saw did not IMO deserve to be booed. I make no comment on what happened on the first night.

Our opinions differ, and like you I comment on the scene as modified. IMO the scene was very distressing and over-long. I felt the boos were well deserved.

[jean]

I hope you will understand how I feel if I take great offence at your tasteless attempt at humour here.

How I agree. An extraordinary misjudgment in the circumstances.

[jean]

Our opinions differ, and like you I comment on the scene as modified. IMO the scene was very distressing and over-long. I felt the boos were well deserved.

Well; but it was supposed to be distressing.

[David-G]

Well; but it was supposed to be distressing.

Indeed. And if this were an opera where the crux of the drama focussed upon this rape, I would agree with you. But this scene was invented by Mr Michieletto in place of Rossini's ballet. In fact, it was in my opinion the only scene in the entire production with any sense of drama; even though the drama resides entirely in the stage presentation, and hardly relates to the music. But the dramatic strength, realism and length of this scene overwhelms everything else. In effect the whole of "Guillaume Tell" has been reduced to a gang rape - and this is exactly why it is this that everybody is talking about. My personal view is that this trivialises rape. Which is why I feel that the boos were well deserved.

[jean]

But you are ignoring the fact that the ballet involves the soldiers forcing the women to dance with them against their will - so there is already a conflict between the music and the actions it accompanies.

You say that the rape scene was very distressing but also that it trivialises rape. Can these both be true?

[David-G]

I am not ignoring that - and in my view they can both be true. But further explanation will have to wait, I am afraid!

[Don Basilio]

I have not yet seen it, but the crux of the story is surely Austrian oppression, which the incident would show.

Mind you the music for the soldiers' dance is very jolly. I hope this doesn't spoil it for me.