The genius of Francesco Cavalli has languished for centuries, and only now is his music receiving the attention it deserves. Today, the joyful La Calisto, based on Ovid’s Metamorphosis, has taken its deserved place as a fundamental title in Baroque opera. For its debut at the Teatro Real, Ivor Bolton conducts the Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla, Monteverdi Continuo Ensemble, and a first-rate cast including Karina Gauvin, Monica Bacelli, Tim Mead, and Guy de Mey, among other specialists in Baroque repertory. Louise Alder, 2017 recipient of the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World and the Young Singers Award at the International Opera Awards, sings the role of La Calisto.
This Bavarian State Opera, Munich production was recorded live in concert March 23, 2019, in Madrid’s Teatro Real. Marvel at the eloquence and dramatic power of Cavalli’s music to create a home where the gods, who in times gone past had been unapproachable, come across as characters who are just as pedestrian as the humans whom they govern.
Thanks to Classical WFMT’s association with the European Broadcasting Union, we’ll be able to offer this program as a stream for 30 days following tonight’s broadcast. A blue “Listen” button will appear when the stream is available.
