"Berlioz's first completed opera has always been a problem child ... Exuberance, indeed, is the main characteristic of this production ... The director, Terry Gilliam, occasionally gets the action wrong ... But as you might expect from an ex-Python, his production of the Carnival scene is vibrant, energetic and eccentric ... Mark Elder ... secures the right Berlioz sound from the orchestra, a glitter and sparkle which carries the work through all the sometimes-creaking dramaturgy. His cast is excellent. John Osborn as Cellini is a lovely Berlioz tenor ... The chorus of Dutch National Opera are convincing ... Although I have some reservations, in general I can commend this recording. Everyone who loves Berlioz should get to know this work".