Berlioz was the antithesis of a dutiful student. For a number of years he submitted works for the Prix de Rome that followed his creative urgings rather than the more decorous procedures that would have satisfied a jury. We should be grateful to him, for otherwise his academic failures – the Tasso-inspired cantata Herminie and the extremely graphic La mort de Cléopâtre – would not have been written. Swedish soprano Lisa Larsson takes a leaf out of the composer's book, giving performances that are focused on dramatic engagement, even when they result in moments of vocal stress and strain that others might shy away from. The song La Captive is all gentleness. The playing of Arnhem's Gelders Orkest is equally responsive under Antonello Manacorda. challenge.nl