CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Donizetti - La Fille du Régiment

starring: Patrizia Ciofi, Juan Diego Florez, Nicola Ulivieri, Francesco Franci, Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice
directed by: Riccardo Frizza, Emilio Sagi

Release Date October 10, 2006
Juan Diego Florez is reason enough to give this recording a 5 star rating! However, the entire production is a major delight and one you will want to hear over and over again. And then I keep recalling "Mes Amis"--vocal pyrotechnics of the highest order...Hmmmm--I think I will go now to play it yet again!

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Geatano Donizetti - Don Pasquale / Ciofi, Alaimo, Shankle, Giossi, Suisse Romande, Pido (Grand Theatre de Geneve 2007)

starring: Patrizia Ciofi, Simone Alaimo, Norman Shankle, Marzio Giossi, Evelino Pido
directed by: Daniel Slater, Don Kent

Release Date June 10, 2008
This is a marvelous production of Don Pasquale. The principals, especially Patricia Ciofi, all sing well, but--let's face it--Pasquale is not a great opera for voice. The cast, however, are not only fine singers, they are splendid actors, and their comedy (especially again, Patricia Ciofi) sparkles. But what sets this Pasquale apart is everything else. The set is magnificent; the costumes are magnificent; the choreography--especially that of the chorus--is magnificent; the color palette is fresh and original; the cinematography is so perfect that it's hard to believe that this was all shot in one take; there is not a creative hair out of place in this production, and when so many of a performance's elements cohere as well as they do here, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Mozart - The Abduction from the Seraglio / Mehta, Mei, Ciofi, Trost, Rydl, Montazeri, John, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence

starring: Eva Mei, Patrizia Ciofi, Rainer Trost, Kurt Rydl

Release Date June 17, 2003
I'm a big fan of Mozart and I've attended many of his operas. This one is the best in regards to the orchestral performance and singing. However, the stage decoration and clothing are mediocre. I was surprised to see Zubin Mehta as the condutor. He's one of the best and I don't know how he agreed to do it in that poorly designed setting.

But the conductor, musicians, and singers are sublime. They make it seem effortless.
One last thing that I didn't like was the end. Its supposed to celebrate Pasha Selim's forgiveness and his accomplishment. It should have been more festive. They should have imitated that part from the Amadeus Movie scene. It was more fun, joyful, and there was a lot of dancing and celebrations.

Again, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Vincenzo Bellini - I Capuleti e I Montecchi / Ciofi, Polito, Formaggia, Sacchi, Amodio, Acocella (Martina Franca Festival)

starring: Patrizia Ciofi, Clara Polito, Danilo Fromaggia, Federico Sacchi, Nicola Amodio
directed by: Denis Krief

Release Date September 26, 2006
Des "Capulets" petit format....
Patricia Ciofi est bien connue (et aimée)en Italie. Sa Juliette est fine, bien chantée, avec une bonne technique et un timbre radieux à défaut d'être brillant...n'est pas Gruberova qui veut! Ses partenaires sont à son image, efficaces et courageux.
La production se veut moderne, genre "Cavalleria Rusticana" ou "Réglement de comptes siciliens"... Pourquoi pas? Mais alors, pourquoi, lorsque les deux hommes s'affrontent, brandir des revolvers, alors que le texte mentionne explicitement une lame? Pourquoi ne pas sortir tout simplement les crans d'arrêt?
Cet enregistrement a du moins l'avantage de nous refaire découvrir un opéra peut joué de nos jours, qui mériterait d'avoir sa place aux côtés de celui ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Giacomo Meyerbeer - Il Crociato in Egitto (Teatro la Fenice 2007)

starring: Michael Maniaci, Patrizia Ciofi, Marco Vinco, Laura Polverelli, Emmanuel Villaume
directed by: Pier Luigi Pizzi

Release Date January 29, 2008
This performance comes with English subtitles and is the next best thing to seeing this performance live. The Opera is available on CD but this performance is the first in Video DVD and the only one available. The
video performance adds a new dimension to the opera.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Mozart - Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail

starring: Patrizia Ciofi, Eva Mei, Rainer Trost, Kurt Rydl, Zubin Mehta

Release Date November 21, 2006
I can't resist "Abduction from the Seraglio." I reach for it when I'm blue and a few bars into the overture, I'm smiling. I hear a young Mozart, full of fresh ideas. It was composed as a comic Singspiel. The characters sing and then they spiel (talk), sing and then spiel some more. It was a great night out for audiences of Mozart's day. They would socialize during the "spiel" and stop to listen when the singing started.

This production from Florence, conducted by Zubin Mehta, is delightful. He conducts with great energy and good spirit (he's smiling in almost all the brief camera shots of him). The sets are colorful, with inventive, intricately painted Moroccan-looking screens that move to bring about the scene changes.

Mozart gives the tenor so many beautiful ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Donizetti - Lucie de Lammermoor (Opéra National de Lyon 2002)

starring: Patrizia Ciofi, Roberto Alagna, Ludovic Tezier, Nicolas Cavallier, Marc Laho
directed by: Don Kent

Release Date March 16, 2004
Patrizia Ciofi is outstanding as Lucie in this French version of Lucie de Lammermoor. I'm a big fan of Natalie Dessay and I've seen her do the mad scene with this cast and Ciofi is certainly her equal. Her voice is just plain glorious and she never holds back on her singing or acting. The audience loved her.

Roberto Alagna was equally wonderful as Edgar and he exceeded my expectations of him in this role. Ludovic Tezier sang Henry Ashton with great passion and more expression than I expected from him, too. Marc Laho as Arthur wins the prize for the best French sounding singer, as usual. He was excellent. Actually, there were no weak links in this production. The entire cast was marvelous.

I thought the stark set could have used more light. The music, singing ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Massenet - Cherubin

starring: Patrizia Ciofi, Michelle Breedt, Carmela Remigio, Giorgio Surian, Teresa Di Bari
directed by: Paul Curran

Release Date January 30, 2007
Massenet's operas, long unfashionable and neglected save for MANON, WERTHER, and the occasional THAIS mounted for a particularly sexy diva, are ripe for rediscovery by modern audiences; they still hold much charm and many melodic pleasures. This production of CHERUBIN, hardly seen since Mary Garden's success in the Monte Carlo premiere, is a good place to start exploring. Another Amazon reviewer here has objected to the staging and design, finding them too chilly to complement the material. To my eye, while they're rather the usual contemporary European one-from-column-A-one-from-column-B approach to opera visuals (the costumes range from exaggerated period to Folies Bergere, with a stop in the 1920s and the odd 1960's neon set element), they're colorful, witty and fun, and don't hinder enjoyment a jot. The chocolate ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

Verdi - La Traviata / Ciofi, Sacca, Hvorostovsky, Tufano, Martorana, Cordella, Porta, Maazel, La Fenice Opera

starring: Patrizia Ciofi, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Roberto Sacca, Eufemia Tufano, Salvatore Cordella

Release Date October 18, 2005
I am not an opera fan and bought this because it is Verdi and Dmitri Hvorostovsky plays a lead. I enjoy Verdi and Hvorostovsky's singing and acting very much. It would have helped if I were more familiar with the content/story of the opera itself. There are surely those much more qualified than myself to provide more meaningful reviews of this DVD.

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

Teatro La Fenice Opera Collection - Thais, Les Pecheurs de Perles, Daphne, Le Roi de Lahore, Maometto II, Pia de Tolemei

starring: Patrizia Ciofi, Annick Massis, Eva Mei, Michele Pertusi, Luca Grassi
directed by: Pier Luigi Pizzi

Release Date October 30, 2007
I am not an opera fan and bought this because it is Verdi and Dmitri Hvorostovsky plays a lead. I enjoy Verdi and Hvorostovsky's singing and acting very much. It would have helped if I were more familiar with the content/story of the opera itself. There are surely those much more qualified than myself to provide more meaningful reviews of this DVD.