Rating: - KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF BERLIOZ
Everything about this recording is sensational, even the voice one might question at first hearing turns out to win you over. It's a rare occurrence, when every aspect of an opera comes together on disc, but it happens here - to the max!

The recorded sound is brilliant, as is the sweeping, driving force of the orchestra under conductor, Colin Davis. The singers are sublime, one of the finest ensembles opera has to offer. This dazzling recording rushes in, delights, then rushes off, ... Read More

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Rating: - Extraordinary Recording in Coliln Davis's Berlioz cycle
Truly a bravado performance totally underseving of the very negative review the recording has unjustly recieved. French opera is not always accessible on first hearing. French opera is often very subtle and doesn't grab the listener immediately. I think Berlioz and Wagner have one unforutnate characteristic in common, you either get their music or you don't.
This score sparkles from beginning to end especially under the baton of Colin Davis. Nicholai Gedda remains one of the finest interpreters ... Read More

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Rating: - Colin Davis is masterly in mercurial Berlioz opera.
During his studies in Italy Berlioz became aquinted with the biography of the famous Florentine sculptor, goldsmith and rogue, Benvenuto Cellini, in whose life he found parallels with his own. He was one of the first of the Renaissance `hero artists' ,where great talent seemed to justify everything,including breaking the law. Berlioz was also a very reckless character, one of many, in fact, in the Romantic era, he was followed by Lord Byron,Wagner (Die Meistersinger) and much later Richard Strauss (Ein ... Read More

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Rating: - An Extraordinary Opera
I was very happy to see that the Benvenuto Cellini recording by Colin Davis was available at Amazon. It has not been a readily available recording and I bought mine (I had the LPs first) from a dealer in England. This is my favorite opera. It is always a joy to listen to and is a work that is difficult to categorize. At times, Cellini is an opera buffa with some very funny scenes, such as the balcony scene where Teresa is showered by flowers and her father, barging out to confront the serenading mob, ... Read More

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Rating: - Truly bravado performance by all involved, especially Gedda
I have little to add to the very excellent and educated review of wierdears. This is an outstanding performance of a, regretfully, overlooked masterpiece. Davis' conducting is masterful and Gedda's singing of this torturous Tenor role is absolutely exquisite. The one correction I have to wierdears' astute review is that the recording was made in the early 70's (at least that's when it was originally released), not the 60's (close to the time Davis made his wonderful recording of Le Troyens). The reason, ... Read More