Between 2000 and 2003 Sir Colin Davis made six incredibly successful recordings of Berlioz’s works on LSO Live.
They garnered praise from around the world as well as collecting numerous awards.
Sir Colin returned to the cycle in late-2007 with an acclaimed recording of Berlioz’s oratorio L’enfance du Christ and follows it with the opera Benvenuto Cellini.
Sir Colin has had a special affinity with Berlioz throughout his career, having almost single-handedly rescued many of the composer’s works from obscurity. As with so many of his compositions, Berlioz’s flamboyant opera, inspired by the life of the Florentine goldsmith, proved almost impossible to cast or stage. Yet even by Berlioz’s standards it contains music of incredible inventiveness and beauty.
Joining Sir Colin on the new recording are a fantastic cast lead by Gregory Kunde as Cellini and Laura Claycomb as Teresa.
The recording was made during several performances at the Barbican in London during June 2007.
Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini
Gregory Kunde (Benvenuto Cellini)
Laura Claycomb (Teresa)
Darren Jeffery (Balducci)
Peter Coleman-Wright (Fieramosca)
Andrew Kennedy (Francesco)
Isabelle Cals (Ascanio)
Jacques Imbrailo (Pompeo)
John Relyea (Pope Clement VII)
Andrew Foster-Williams (Bernadino)
Alasdair Elliot (Cabaratier)
London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis
Barbican, London 26&29.6.2007
