First performed by the Orchestre de la Société des concerts du Conservatoire, in the opera Guillaume Tell in 1839.
This tune is easily recognized and has been used many times in film and television, including as the theme song for The Lone Ranger.
Additional notes:
The" William Tell Overture" is the overture to the opera William Tell (original French title Guillaume Tell), whose music was composed by Gioachino Rossini. The opera is based on a legend about the Swiss hero William Tell. According to the legend, William Tell was an expert with a bow and arrow who shot an apple off his son's head. You can hear the political turmoil in William Tell's Switzerland in Rossini's music.