L'Orfeo (Monteverdi)

Virgin Veritas #5456422
Ian Bostridge (Orfeo), Patrizia Ciofi (Euridice), Natalie Dessay (La Musica), Alice Coote (Messaggiera), Sonia Prina (La Speranza), Mario Luperi (Caronte), Veronique Gens (Proserpina), Lorenzo Regazzo (Plutone), Christopher Maltman (Apollo), Paul Agnew (Eco), Richard Burkhand (Shepherd), Pascal Bertin (First Shepherd), Carolyn Sampson (Ninfa); Emmanuelle Haïm (conductor), Le Concert d’Astrée.
Released March 2004.
REVIEWS:

"Patrizia Ciofi, who has recently come to prominence in this repertoire, contributes a lovely, touching Eurydice..." MusicWeb

"On retient également la tendre Euridice de Patricia Ciofi, la Proserpina palpitante de Véronique Gens, le Plutone souverain de Lorenzo Regazzo." Avant Scene Opera

"Ciofi is a poignant Euridice in the tradition of Julianne Baird for Gardiner." American Record Guide Jul/Aug-04

"The Euridice of Patrizia Ciofi, a role with a mere two speeches to it, registers as wan and off-center from the start." Opera News Aug-04

"[I]t's hard to imagine anything more graceful, gripping and soulful than this new account of "L'Orfeo" directed by Emmanuelle Haim. Striking, above all, is the sense of authentic human drama that permeates every scene. When Orfeo (the inspired tenor Ian Bostridge) mourns for his betrothed, Euridice (an alluring Patricia Ciofi), mortally wounded by a snakebite, he does so in urgent musical lines that have the freshness of colloquial speech. Everyone responds in kind. " SF Chronicle 18-Apr-04

Reviews also appeared in the following publications:
Gramophone - May 2004 p.89
Opera - February 2005 pp.228-229
Opéra International - No.288 mars 2004 p.76
Diapason - No.513 avril 2004 p.98
International Record Review - May 2004 pp.73-74
Classica Répertoire - No.60 mars 2004 pp.95-96
Opera Actual (Barcelona) - No.71 junio 2004 p.83
L'opera (Milano) - Anno XVIII N.183 maggio 2004 p.99