(Complete Recording, sung in English) BBC Symphony Orchestra Sir Andrew Davis, director with Rodney Gilfry, Lori Ann Fuller, George Dvorsky, Felicity Palmer, Lucy Schaufer and the BBC Singers Steven Betteridge, chorus master Capriccio presents the world premiere recording of Kurt Weill"s "Broadway operetta" The Firebrand of Florence. A piece full of snappy music and witty lines. It shows that Kurt Weill succeeded magnificently in adapting himself to the taste of the public in America; the seriousness and social criticism with which he had been occupied in Germany in the twenties did not fit into the America of the forties. Thus an amusing comedy was created about a European artist in the time of Medicis. Benvenuto Cellini is not only a wonderful artist but also a daredevil, particularly with respect to eroticism, which brought him more than just pleasure...The BBC under the leadership of Sir Andrew Davis has produced a racy performance - with stars such as Rodney Gilfry and Felicity Palmer.