description La Calisto Overview
La Calisto is an Italian opera by Francesco Cavalli with a libretto by Giovanni Faustini, first performed in Venice in 1651. Drawing on Ovid's Metamorphoses, it follows Jupiter's pursuit of the nymph Callisto while disguised as Diana, alongside the real Diana's concealed attraction to the shepherd Endymion. The opera mixes gods, mortals, and comic characters, combining mythological transformation with the flexible recitative and lyrical arias of seventeenth-century Venetian opera.
help La Calisto FAQ
Who composed La Calisto, and when was it first performed?
Francesco Cavalli composed La Calisto with a libretto by Giovanni Faustini. It was first performed in Venice in 1651.
How does Jupiter disguise himself in La Calisto?
Jupiter disguises himself as Diana to approach the nymph Calisto. The plot draws on Ovid's Metamorphoses and turns the disguise into the opera's central deception.
What happens to Calisto in La Calisto?
Juno's jealousy leads to Calisto's transformation into a bear after Jupiter's deception is exposed. Jupiter ultimately connects her fate with the stars, echoing the myth of the Great Bear.
What is the parallel love story in La Calisto?
The real Diana has a concealed attraction to Endymion, creating a second erotic plot alongside Jupiter's pursuit of Calisto. This parallel lets Cavalli and Faustini combine mythological drama with a contrasting love story.
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