“La Calisto” – one of Cavalli’s most frequently performed operas today – was premiered in Venice in 1651 but didn’t achieve its first real breakthrough until the 20th century.

The foundation for this success may be the rediscovery of the dramaturgic and musically masterful construction: Faustini interwove several mythological models; the love between the Nymph Kallisto and Jupiter and between Diana and the shepherd Endymion, as well as Kallisto’s transformation into a bear and his emanation as a well-known constellation. Numerous amusing minor roles are included, and Cavalli succeeded in combining the various storylines and characters to produce an effective, musically cohesive whole.

This first volume of the new Bärenreiter series of the works of Cavalli presents a critical edition of the musical text and libretto complete with an English translation, and provides a comprehensive insight into the development of the genre in Italian opera life of the 17th century.