Rossini

[jujucuddles]

what is the testure and genre of Rossini's opera William Tell?

[Bigguy]

I'm sure you're referring to Rossini's "William Tell Overture" which is instantly recognizable by most of the western world. I don't know what you mean by 'testure' but it is an orchestral piece with probably hundreds of recordings having been made, and probably dozens still available. Glen Campbell used to do a spectacular version on acoustic guitar, but I haven't been able to acquire a recording of it.
- Bigguy

[littleoldme]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but I hope this is of some help.

William Tell is a tragic opera, and the last one Rossini ever wrote (although he lived for another 40 years). It received an indifferent reception on its first performance and has never been one of Rossini's most popular operas. These days, apart from the extremely famous overture, it is rarely performed, owing both to its great length (around 6 hours in unabridged form) and its demanding nature.

[saxy_jag]

It's of the opera genre.

It's hard to tell you what the texture is without writing an essay, because, as littleoldme says, there's the whole six-hour work, and then there's the overture, which itsself is in four parts - all texturally very different.

The texture, if you're not sure, is how the the various instruments and musical 'lines' fit together - thick, thin, rough, fine etc etc. You need to go back to your class notes for this, because I doubt you would have been set the question without having been given the appropriate information.