BERKELEY, Calif. — With the help of an English translation by librettist David Scott Marley, the Berkeley Opera presented a cheery rendition of the Hector Berlioz opera Béatrice et Bénédict.

The opera, based on Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," was first presented in 1862 in composer Berlioz's native French.

The story revolves around two couples — Hero and Claudio and their companions Béatrice and Bénédict. Claudio takes Hero as his bride after he returns from vanquishing the Moors from Sicily. Meanwhile, Béatrice and Bénédict engage in an acerbic battle of wits before reconciling and eventually marrying.

Berlioz used a libretto most likely taken from Benjamin Laroche's French translation of the play, with Berlioz adding some of his own words. One of the characters, the farcical Somarone, is utterly an invention of Berlioz.

Marley's interpretation restores the English text and bolsters the roles of Claudio and Hero. The increased presence of Claudio and Hero adds a crucial dimension to the story, pulling the crux of the plot closer to Shakespeare's intent.

This version distributes the weight of the story evenly between the two couples and their roads to the altar through various obstacles. For Claudio and Hero, the main impediment is the evil Don John — a captured officer from the vanquished army who seeks revenge on Claudio by trying to break up the blissful union.

In the Berkeley Opera's performance, the banter between Béatrice and Bénédict is a charming plus. Many of Shakespeare's puns, as translated in Berlioz's French version, do not come across with nearly as much punch and pizzazz as in this rendition.

Berlioz's version contains only enough music for about 50 minutes onstage. Marley augments the opera with dialogue from Much Ado About Nothing and music from Benvenuto Cellini. The added dialogue melds into the work with ease, and surprisingly, so does the additional music. However, the additions to the score do strain the opera's overall timing.

Act 1 begins at a furious comedic pace but slows at points. The character of Somarone is welcome comic relief in the first act but dulls considerably in the second.

Tenor Stephen Rumph (Bénédict) and soprano Lanier McNab (Béatrice) are the obvious standouts in the cast, thanks to their musicality and stage presence.

The cast and conductor were hamstrung by Berlioz's long melodic phrases, notably the first act's closing aria, "Night Is Falling Serenely" ("Nuit, plaisible et seriene" in the Berlioz version). Even though the phrase is marked at piano, some semblance of dynamic contour must be achieved or the phrase remains terribly stagnant.

The orchestra took on a highly technical work and wasn't always up to the task. This was evident right from the overture, with faulty intonation and missed notes plaguing the remainder of the opera.

Set designer Melpomene Katakalos and lighting designer Heather Basarab should be commended for working wonders on a limited budget. Opera companies take heed: Even if the work is presented in English, the audience still should have the comfort of supertitles, the libretto projected above the stage — a vital missing link in this production.

It is hoped that this rendition of the Berlioz work finds its way into a production house able to raise this fine libretto to even greater heights.