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Rome, 1532. Pope Clement VII has tasked the sculptor Benvenuto Cellini with creating a bronze statue of Perseus before the end of carnival. Seeking fame and fortune, the latter accepts the commission, even though his workshop is short on both time and metal. On top of that, Cellini is head over heels in love with Teresa, the daughter of the Pope’s treasurer, Balducci, who for his part is intent on marrying his daughter to Fieramosca, Cellini’s rival in love and art. When the young lovers’ attempt to elope fails, Cellini has no choice but to carry out his task successfully if he wants to avoid certain death …
La vita, the autobiographical account of Florentine sculptor and goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini, had all the elements to inspire Hector Berlioz. The turbulent life of the famous Renaissance artist was indeed the ideal material for the creation of a vivid opera in which love affairs, political intrigues and artistic jealousy all merge in a composition that is as thrilling as it is gripping. With his sense of theatre, Alain Altinoglu is the ideal conductor for this richly coloured masterpiece, to be staged for the first time at La Monnaie. Director Thaddeus Strassberger is bound to enchant the audience with a colourful show worthy of the finest Carnival celebrations!
Are you under 30? Then attend this opera on the Young Opera Night (31.1.2026) and we treat you to a personal welcome, a free drink, a free programme book and an after-event.