''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
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
on 23 January 1788.
''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."
[McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Calto' in ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' p 692]
Roles
Synopsis
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
*
*McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Calto' in ''The
New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', ed. Stanley Sadie (London)
{{authority control
1788 operas
Italian-language operas
Opera seria
Operas by Francesco Bianchi