Melanie Diener kills Fidelio

Fidelio (in concert), Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, February 21 2011

Kurt Masur

Kurt Masur ..... conductor

Melanie Diener ..... Leonore

Burkhard Fritz ..... Florestan

Matthias Goerne ..... Pizzaro

Kurt Rydl ..... Rocco

Sophie Karthäuser ..... Marzelline

Werner Güra ..... Jaquino

Bálint Szabó ..... Fernando

Orchestre National de France and Choeur de Radio France

Crummy Berlioz

Benvenuto Cellini is an opera that can be considered interesting because it shows a starting point to what would Berlioz's genius become 20 years later. Other than that, the opera is not really very interesting. OK, there are bits and pieces that are likable but overall it's long-winded and clumsily constructed: the drama isn't really taking off, while its comic part is desperately not funny. 

Happily Berlioz realized right after this opera that his language to touch the dramatic cord with the audience is music more than anything, and only a year later he composed his wonderful semi-opera Romeo et Juliette -- much-much better than Benvenuto Cellini. 

So if you're Berlioz fan and you take Benevenuto Cellini for what it is --an exercise, a building block in the learning process of young Berlioz, then you can give this DVD a try.  Otherwise you should keep in mind that life is short, and that there are so many other DVDs to see, books to read...  ;)