Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini (2008)

Colin Davis has been a strong advocate of Berlioz's, and was largely responsible for the 1960s revival of interest in the composer's work, much of which had been virtually unknown to modern audiences. Davis' Berlioz performances on Philips were classics, and he made the first recording of Benvenuto Cellini in 1972, with a stellar cast that included Nicolai Gedda in the title role, along with Christiane Eda-Pierre, Jules Bastin, Jane Berbié, Roger Soyer, and Hugues Cuénod. It's unfortunate that this version, recorded live ... Read More

Colin Davis has been a strong advocate of Berlioz's, and was largely responsible for the 1960s revival of interest in the composer's work, much of which had been virtually unknown to modern audiences. Davis' Berlioz performances on Philips were classics, and he made the first recording of Benvenuto Cellini in 1972, with a stellar cast that included Nicolai Gedda in the title role, along with Christiane Eda-Pierre, Jules Bastin, Jane Berbié, Roger Soyer, and Hugues Cuénod. It's unfortunate that this version, recorded live with the London Symphony Orchestra, which reflects Davis' lifetime of familiarity with the opera and is probably his final commercial recording of it, doesn't have a more compelling cast. While the principals adequately manage, there is a sense that the singers aren't fully at ease, not enough to make the opera's considerable humor sound genuinely funny and fun to sing. (They must be fine actors, though, because there is considerable audience laughter during the spoken sections.) Laura... Read Less