Calto is an opera seria in three acts by Francesco Bianchi. The libretto was by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, after the 'Celtic' poetry of Ossian. The opera was first performed at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice on 23 January 1788.

Calto
Opera seria by Francesco Bianchi
The composer in 1805
LibrettistGiuseppe Foppa
LanguageItalian
Based onCeltic poetry by Ossian
Premiere
7 February 1786 (1786-02-07)

Calto was an innovative work with some special instrumentation. As Marita P. McClymonds explains "Bianchi uses flat keys, fluctuating modes, chromatic dissonances and an unusually wide range of wind timbres (oboe, bassoon, clarinet, horn and English horn) for maximum dramatic effect."[1]

Roles

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Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 23 January 1788
(Conductor:)
Duntalmo, usurper king tenor Giuseppe Bertelli
Corimba, Duntalmo's daughter, secretly married to Calto soprano Maria Giacinta Galli
Sinveno soprano castrato Tommaso Catena
Calto, son of the rightful king killed by Duntalmo, adopted by Sinveno soprano castrato Giovanni Rubinelli
Asteria soprano Maria Bellavigna
Conalbo tenor Antonio Mora

Synopsis

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Calto claims his rightful throne from the usurper Duntalmo, but the latter is saved by Corimba, who turns out to be both Duntalmo's daughter and the mother of Calto's two children.

References

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  1. ^ McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Calto' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera p 692
  • Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Calto". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  • McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Calto' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7