Benvenuto Cellini

"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".

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"The playing of the orchestra under Gardiner, as one might expect, is close to ideal ... The Monteverdi Choir too are solidly romantic in tone, augmented to nearly sixty voices - which may belie their retention of their baroque name but nevertheless yields remarkably athletic results in the complex cross-rhythms of the Roman Carnival scene. The soloists in this performance are rather more of a mixed bag, given roles that admittedly would challenge nearly all singers ... those wishing to experience a staged production of Benvenuto Cellini in their living rooms will find that this handsomely presented DVD answers their needs admirably. The booklet contains essays and plot synopses in English, French and German, and subtitles are provided in all three languages".

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"This is the first commercially available DVD of Berlioz's mercurial debut opera .. retro "futuristic" production ... Musically, though, there are some rewards".

Vurdering (performance): 3/5.

Vurdering (picture & sound): 3/5.

"The sound and picture are clear, so if you want a very good performance in an offbeat production you may wish to add this to your collection".

"There's certainly no denying the energy that the director [ex-Python Terry Gilliam] finds to reflect Berlioz's bustling, brilliant but occasionally waffly score ... throwing acrobats and puppets aplenty at the carnival scene ... Thankfully there are some excellent musical performances, not least from Mark Elder, who brings some fizzingly punchy playing from the Rotterdam Philharmonic. John Osborn is ideal as Cellini, too ... Mariangela Sicilia ... sings elegantly and acts engagingly ... I have my reservations about Gilliam's staging, then but ... this flm is certainly more recommendable than Philip Stölzl's sci-fi staging at Salzburg (also Naxos)".

"Gilliam vermengt scheinbar divergierende Elemente zu einem geschlossenen, optisch überweltigenden, souverän beherrschten Ganzen. Cellinis Rom des 16. Jahrhunderts ist eine hundert Jahre jüngere, barocke Kulissenbühne mit einer bedrückenden Schwarzweiss-Gefängnisoptik ... Die Kostüme beschwören das Charles-Dickens-London der viktorianischen (Entstehungs-)Zeit. Sie liefern die einzigen Farbtupfer: ... John Osborn mit höhensicherem Tenor ... Maria Angela Sicilia ist eine tolle Teresa, sopranstark und virtuos, Laurent Naouri ein baritonbeweglicher Intrigant als ihr Vater Fieramosca. Alles gipfelt im kaleidoskopisch sich zersplitternden Finale I des Römischen Karnevals".