This is the opening and most widely known part of the 5-hour opera which was Rossini's first serious opera and the last one he composed. The story is about the legendary Swiss folk hero William Tell, a renowned archer, who inspired rebellion in the 14th century to liberate his country Switzerland from the Austrian occupation. The opera deals with ideas such as "how does one balance patriotic loyalty with personal freedom?" and "what are the conflicts of an occupied nation seeking independence and peace?"
The music has been widely used as the main theme in films such as Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film "A Clockwork Orange" as well as in some cartoons such as "Mickey Mouse" and "The Flintstones". The music has a fast pace with a climax at the end, through which Rossini depicts the Swiss soldiers' victorious battle to liberate their homeland from Austrian repression.