| Cavalli, Francesco (1602-1676) | La Calisto (Teatro Real première) |
| Teatro Real | |||
| Ivor Bolton | Conductor | 2019 Mar 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25 | |
| Christopher Moulds | Conductor | 2019 Mar 18, 26 | |
| David Alden | Director | ||
| Paul Steinberg | Set Designer | ||
| Buki Shiff | Costume Designer | ||
| Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla | |||
| Monteverdi Continuo Ensemble | |||
| Louise Alder | Soprano | Calisto | 2019 Mar 17, 19, 21, 23, 25 |
| Anna Devin | Soprano | Calisto | 2019 Mar 18, 20, 24, 26 |
| Luca Tittoto | Baritone | Giove (Jupiter / Jove) | |
| Monica Bacelli | Mezzo-soprano | Diana, Il Destino | 2019 Mar 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26 |
| Teresa Iervolino | Mezzo-soprano | Diana, Il Destino | 2019 Mar 18, 20, 24 |
| Karina Gauvin | Soprano | Giunone, L'Eternità | 2019 Mar 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26 |
| Rachel Kelly | Mezzo-soprano | Giunone, L'Eternità | 2019 Mar 18, 20, 24 |
| Tim Mead | Countertenor | Endimione | 2019 Mar 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26 |
| Xavier Sabata | Countertenor | Endimione | 2019 Mar 18, 20, 24 |
| Nikolay Borchev | Baritone | Mercurio | 2019 Mar 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26 |
| Borja Quiza | Bass | Mercurio | 2019 Mar 18, 20, 24 |
| Guy de Mey | Tenor | Linfea | 2019 Mar 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26 |
| Francisco Vas | Tenor | Linfea | 2019 Mar 18, 20, 24 |
| Ed Lyon | Tenor | Pane | 2019 Mar 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26 |
| Juan Sancho | Tenor | Pane | 2019 Mar 18, 20, 24 |
| Dominique Visse | Countertenor | La Natura, Satirino | |
| Andrea Mastroni | Bass | Silvano |
Since its recovery in 1970, after having fallen almost totally into oblivion during centuries, La Calisto has come to be one of the inalienable works within the wave of recuperation of baroque opera repertory. This reconstruction is particularity interesting – with regard to other operas of the same period – since many documents have been conserved from its première.
We know, for example, that the original production was very sophisticated, with seven changes of scene, numerous special effects and a very complex system of machinery. Such was the degree of substantial resources assigned to a work that was to delve (in a most irreverent manner) into the relationships between the gods and human beings; that the audience of that time must have been blushing and short of breath throughout. Not in vain does the story that drinks from the Metamorphosis de Ovid, evolve around the love of Giove for the beautiful nymph Calisto, who rejects him in her masculine form in order to later succumb to his courtship when he disguises himself as the goddess Diana. Francesco Cavalli makes good use of a libretto that also includes amusing subordinate plots and which inspired him to compose very original and lyrical music.
Production by the Bayerische Staatsoper of Munich
