Q: What’s the definition of musical snobbery?
A: Hearing the “William Tell Overture” without thinking of the Lone Ranger.

This is one of those pieces that everybody just knows. You can’t avoid it – it’s in cartoons, commercials, video games. Gioachino Rossini knows how to write ’em; everything is clear and easy to follow – no tricks or games. It begins with a gentle melody that blows up about 2:45.

And go ahead … think of the Lone Ranger, and ride a pretend horse around your house, the office, or even around town. If anybody turns up their nose at you, just “neigh” at them and move on.

At least, so says Rosina, the heroine from Rossini‘s opera, The Barber of Seville.

In Rosina’s well loved solo, she presents herself as coy and sweet, but wickedly clever. She sings “A thousand tricks I play until I have my way; be on your guard.” Then, working with her lover, she proceeds to make an idiot out of a cruel, elderly suitor. Don’t let the gorgeous bel canto singing fool you – and definitely don’t play games with this woman!

No matter who you are, you’ve probably heard Gioachino Rossini‘s before, largely because of Looney Tunes. There’s nothing wrong with that. His music is so energizing and playful – perfect stuff for watching the Road Runner outwit Wile E. Coyote and by extension, the Acme corporation. More than that, he doesn’t play any musical guessing-games with his audience. When there’s a melody, you hear it. When it gets faster, you know. No special knowledge required.

This is the overture to his opera “La Cenerentola” – Cinderella.

So why is this post titled “Wait for it …”? The first two minutes of the overture is “sit down and shut up” music. Some quiet notes, a couple big chords, some noodling around, some weird harmonic progressions. Stuff to pass the time as opera patrons rush to their seats before the real action begins. (I’m actually convinced that at 2:09, Rossini was actually setting the words “sit down, shut up, sit down, shut up” to orchestral music.)

So if you get bored or lost early on … wait for it. Things start to get going around 2:15.