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Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict is light and fluffy, making it perfect summer festival fare. Sadly, like a soggy soufflé, Pelly's one-trick staging soon falls flat.

Béatrice et Bénédict is Hector Berlioz’s last work; he wrote it between 1860 and 1862 for the theatre that patron Edouard Bénazet had built in Baden-Baden, then Germany’s most chic health resort.

When you go to a student opera production, even at an institution as prestigious as the Royal Academy of Music, you don't expect to see one of the opera world's conducting legends in the pit. But that's precisely what we had at last night's performance of Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict, in the shape of Sir Colin Davis (CH, CBE), a man with several thousand opera performances on the clock.

Opera Boston, whose mantra is “Only innovative repertory. Only original productions” has created a new production of Berlioz' Béatrice et Bénédict for Boston. Seductively charming, the production's depth and complexity become apparent with time and acquaintance – just like any worthwhile relationship.This little-seen opera is sung in French, with spoken dialogue.

Spécialistes du répertoire berliozien, John Nelson et l'Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg ont offert une production très estimable de Béatrice et Bénédict, malgré un Toby Spence en délicatesse dans le rôle-titre.

Nicht einmal eine kurzfristige Corona-Infektion konnte diese amüsante und musikalisch beeindruckende Erstaufführung in der Oper Köln vom Glänzen abhalten.

Hector Berlioz reprenant Shakespeare, Richard Brunel et Catherine Ailloud-Nicolas Hector reprenant Berlioz. La production choisit de revenir dans les dialogues parlés au plus près de l’oeuvre originale.