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