Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart)

Harmonia Mundi #901818/20
Veroniqe Gens (Countess), Angelika Kirchschlager (Cherubino), Patrizia Ciofi (Susanna), Lorenzo Regazzo (Figaro), Simon Keenlyside (Count Almaviva); Rene Jacobs (conductor), Concerto Köln.
Released in May 2004.
REVIEWS:

"Ciofi is clearly one of the major singers of our time, astonishingly versatile - she sings everything from Monteverdi’s Poppea to Puccini’s Lauretta - and her Susanna lies somewhere between Graziella Sciutti and Mirella Freni in vocal weight but with immaculate style. Her “Deh vieni non tardar” is something very special. [...] Nowadays, we tend to think of the Countess as the prima donna role, but it wasn’t the case in Mozart’s time (when Nancy Storace switched from the lady’s part to her maid’s during the composition period), and here Jacobs certainly restores that position to Ciofi." OPERA Sep-04

"Patrizia Ciofi's Susanna is beautifully sung--spicy and knowing..." Classics Today

"The laughter in Patrizia Ciofi’s voice is delightful when she is dressing up Cherubino, and she has space in ‘Deh vieni’ for a touchingly expressive performance." Gramophone

"This is as fine a Figaro as has appeared on disc in the past 20 years, and certainly the best of the four so far that have used period instruments. [...] Patrizia Ciofi's flighty Susanna. Ciofi is wonderfully deft in the second act, alongside Véronique Gens's liquid, elegant countess and Angelika Kirchschlager's puppyish Cherubino." Guardian

"As Susanna, Ciofi is a special delight, a three-dimensional soprano to fall in love with." Atlanta Journal

"Patrizia Ciofi is a revelation. With just a hint of huskiness in her voice, Ciofi's Susanna is part charmer and part vixen. Here's a spunky Susanna who's so sexually alluring that you can tell why Figaro and the Count are smitten." Early Music America Fall 04

"Susanna lies a little low for Patrizia Ciofi, which brings out an attractive, smoky tone in her voice. Her ''Deh, vieni,'' sung with depth of sound, is a real seduction." Opera News Jul 04

"Both Veronique Gens, as the Countess, his disappointed wife, and Patrizia Ciofi, as Susanna, her clever maid, sing with a natural sound that combines the straightforwardness of speech with the beauty of song. Ms. Ciofi sometimes blends a lovely dark quality into her soprano, giving the character an added touch of maturity." NYT 27-Jun-04

"Ensemble numbers are brilliant, and both Gens and Ciofi ornament with superlative grace." Globe and Mail 17-Jun-04

"Patrizia Ciofi gibt eine sehr gute Susanna voller Spielfreude ab. Besonders gelungen ist die Arie im 2. Akt "Venite, inginocchiatevi", in der die Verkleidung Cherubinos in Musik gesetzt erscheint (Mozart hat Frauen beim Kleiderprobieren gut beobachtet!)." Rondo Magazin

"Patricia Ciofi (Susanna) plait par la légèreté idoine qui lui donne une touche d’innocence séduisante." ResMusica

"Patrizia Ciofi es mi Susanna de la década. La he oído en vivo cantando este papel en años anteriores, pero se supera en esta grabación, especialmente durante el dueto de la carta y, sobre todo, al cantar “Deh vieni non tardar”. ¡Qué voz tan bella y expresiva tiene esta mujer!" Pro ópera

Reviews also appeared in the following publications:
Opera - September 2004 pp.1136-1138
Fanfare - Vol.28 No.1 September/October 2004 pp.167-170
Orpheus - Juli+August 2004 S.61-S.62
Opéra International - No.289 avril 2004 p.75
Diapason - No.513 avril 2004 p.74
BBC Music Magazine - April (published February) 2004 p.64, p.66
International Record Review - May 2004 p.74
American Record Guide - July/August 2004 Vol.67 No.4 p.143
The Absolute Sound - August/September 2004 Issue 149 p.121
Classica Répertoire - No.61 avril 2004 pp.101-102
Opera Actual (Barcelona) - No.70 mayo 2004 p.86
L'opera (Milano) - Anno XVIII N.183 maggio 2004 pp.99-100