Discography
Arrigo Boito - Nerone
Sheshaberidze, Vassallo, Frontali, Boi, Uzun
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari
Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, 2024
Director: Fabio Ceresa
Set Designer: Tiziano Santi
Costume designer: Claudia Pernigotti
Light designer: Daniele Naldi
Choreographer: Mattia Agatiello
2 DVD / 1 Blu-ray Dynamic
Gramophone: «Francesco Cilluffo is a splendid advocate for Boito’s complex score, drawing out the opera’s sombre harmonies and brassy monumentalism, and the chorus of the Teatro Lirico make splendid contributions.»
Rivista Musica: «Francesco Cilluffo is an eclectic but selective conductor, who like few others today looks at the now obsolete works of 19th and 20th century Italian authors with attention and competence. It was inevitable for him to measure himself against Boito's Nerone [...]. Cilluffo grasped its secret code, he went along with it, he let it flow in its deliberate dichotomies, with a light hand but firm control of the whole, extreme attention to colour and appropriate agogic flexibility where the musical flow risks turning in on itself. An outstanding performance, faithful to Boito's spirit, even in avoiding the modern strains and clangorous effects that the revision in use might sometimes suggest.»
Online Merker: «Francesco Cilluffo conducts the orchestra with a good balance of precision and interpretative freedom. The musical direction shows a multi-layered penetration of the complex score, which requires both Wagnerian monumentality and impressionistic delicacy. Under Cilluffo, Boito's score becomes a lively spectrum of sound, ranging from sombre harmonies to sublime, almost floating moments.»
Francesco Cilèa - Gloria
Bartoli, Ventre, Vassallo, Chikviladze
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari
Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, 2023
1 CD Naxos
Rivista Musica: «One cannot imagine a better interpretation than that of Francesco Cilluffo: the Turinese musician, who loves and knows this repertoire like few others, heightens the lyrical and cantabile dimension of the opera, with a truly refined colouristic taste and a continuous agogic mobility that avoids the emphasis of mass scenes [...] in short, he brilliantly finds that sort of Verismo ‘third way’ of which Cilea was - especially with his Adriana - the champion.»
Francesco Cilèa - Gloria
Bartoli, Ventre, Vassallo, Chikviladze
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari
Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, 2023
Director: Antonio Albanese
Light designer: Andrea Ledda
Set Designer: Leila Fteita
Costume designer: Carola Fenocchio
1 DVD/Blu-ray Dynamic
Gramophone: «Cilluffo is an expert advocate. He’s an old hand in this repertoire, and it shows, with vibrant, responsive sounds from the Sardinian orchestra and chorus.»
Online Merker: «Francesco Cilluffo leads the Orchestra del Teatro Lirico with great skill and interprets Cilèa's score with energy and clarity. Cilluffo's gripping conducting helps to emphasise the musical contrasts and rich melodic structure of the score. [...] The precise coordination between orchestra and soloists is remarkable and demonstrates Cilluffo's ability to skilfully shape both the large dramatic arches and the fine musical details.»
Mon seul trésor
Tenor arias by Donizetti, Rossini and Bellini
Konu Kim, tenor
Beethoven Academy Orchestra
1 CD Orphée Classics 2021
Pietro Mascagni - Guglielmo Ratcliff
Villari, Vestri, Sicilia, Stout, Buratto
Wexford Festival Opera Chorus & Orchestra
Wexford Festival Opera, Wexford 2015
2 CD RTÉ lyric
Gramophone: «Francesco Cilluffo draws a terrific orchestral performance, especially in the peach of an intermezzo ‘Il sogno di Ratcliff’ (Ratcliff’s Dream). An essential discovery.»
Lebrecht Weekly (myscena.org) / Lebrecht Listens (Musical Toronto): «Francesco Cilluffo conducts with a keen ear for dramatic tension and the Irish orchestra and chorus are excellent.»
Marco Tutino - Le Braci (Embers) - world première
Scandiuzzi, Antoniozzi, Nisi, Giusti, Kuban, Tomasoni
Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia
Festival della Valle d’Itria, Martina Franca 2015
2 CD Dynamic
Critic's choice (November 2016) for Opera News: «The Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia churns marvelously under the suave leadership of Francesco Cilluffo..»
Francesco Cilèa - L’Arlesiana
Vestri, Golovnin, Sicilia, Antonucci, Caradja, Strano
Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana
Coro Lirico Marchigiano V. Bellini
Teatro Pergolesi, Jesi 2013
2 CD Dynamic
Recording of the Month (October 2015) for Musicweb International: «Francesco Cilluffo conducts his Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana with verve and assurance. [...] The playing and singing of the orchestra and chorus is fully worthy of the occasion [...] and can hardly be bettered. [...[ A real find and easy to recommend.»
Francesco Cilèa - L’Arlesiana
Vestri, Golovnin, Sicilia, Antonucci, Caradja, Strano
Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana
Coro Lirico Marchigiano V. Bellini
Teatro Pergolesi, Jesi 2013
Director: Rosetta Cucchi
Light designer: Martin McLachlan
Set Designer: Sarah Bacon
Costume designer: Claudia Pernigotti
1 DVD/Blu-ray Dynamic
Recording of the Month (October 2015) for Musicweb International: «Francesco Cilluffo conducts his Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana with verve and assurance. [...] The playing and singing of the orchestra and chorus is fully worthy of the occasion [...] and can hardly be bettered. [...[ A real find and easy to recommend.»