"Benevento Cellini

From the shocking overture performance to the happy final scene, Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra collaborated on "Benevento Cellini" "Toto Cellini" is an almost pure joy.

Many of the peaks of Colin Davis' artistic career are related to Berlioz's music. Many of Berlioz's works have been unfairly ignored until now.

Compared with "Trojans" and "Beatrice and Benedick" among the composer's three complete operas, "Cellini" may be the least well-known. The final scene of the work, in which the golden statue cast by the sculptor Cellini floats above the stove, is a huge challenge for even the wealthiest opera companies. In addition, the performance of the play requires a large number of solo singers.

There are many wonderful passages in "Cellini", including Teresa's aria, the trio, the last scene of the first act, and the last scene of the second act. Davies and the London Symphony Orchestra used the original Paris libretto and retained the dialogue to fulfill Berlioz's desire to ultimately write the work as a farce. This is an idea that perfectly suits the happy character of the score, rather than accentuating its nobility.

The cast is very strong, and the most dazzling star is undoubtedly Laura Claycomb's Teresa, Cellini's lover. In the opening aria, she boldly used the coloratura soprano technique, which is particularly admirable. At the same time, she easily showed the lively side of a 17-year-old girl. Gregory Kunde's Cellini is a little nervous in the opening stages, but he gradually develops tonal power and vividly portrays the character's hubris. Fieramosca played by Peter Coleman-Wright is very elegant, and John Relyea's Pope is majestic and unforgettable.

Three young artists from Covent Garden have added a lot to the play. Francesco played by Andrew Kennedy has a strong impact, and Pompeo by Jacques Imbrailo shows a very high level. Andrew Foster-Williams and Isabelle Cals play Bernardino and Ascanio respectively. Their performances work well together, forming a wonderful pairing.

Of course, the conductor and orchestra dominated the entire performance. Davis's understanding of Berlioz's artistic character is reflected in the lively performance of the overture, with particularly outstanding brass and strings, and the deafening sound of the final scene of the first act, once again proving that the London Symphony Orchestra is one of the best orchestras in the world. . The balance of the structure, the faithful reproduction of the composer's original score, and the spontaneous listening of each other among the musicians may be the three magic weapons for the London Symphony Orchestra to maintain high standards.

The new Cellini recording is a must-have for those who already know and love the work, while those who have not heard it will find it easy to join the former, especially now In front of the cheap selling price.