Benvenuto Cellini, premiered in 1838, is inspired by the life of the legendary Florentine goldsmith and Renaissance figure. The premiere was a disatster yet even by Berlioz’s high standards it contains music of exceptional inventiveness and beauty.

The work is challenging not least due to the three versions which exist:

I The original version (Paris 1) as Berlioz composed it
II The version premiered in Paris (Paris 2) after rehearsal and copied into an archival full score
III The Weimar version based on the revival in 1852 following changes suggested by Liszt

Our edition offers a solution to the problem of publishing operas which have been heavily revised by their composers, so that any of its many versions may be adopted on stage today.