THEATRE

THE HARVARD EARLY MUSIC SOCIETY presents
LA CALISTO
Music by Francesco Cavalli
Libretto by Giovanni Faustini

The legendary myth from Ovid's Metamorphoses is transformed into a moving tale of impossible love. Jove seduces Calisto, a devout nymph sworn to chastity. Juno, catching wind of Jove's latest infidelities, exacts revenge on the innocent girl by torturing her and turning her into a bear. Unable to reverse Juno's curse, Jove transforms his beloved into a constellation, offering her a place in heaven and eternal life among the stars.

All the while, deities, satyrs, and shepherds tumble in and out of intrigues and hijinks in order to fulfill their amorous desires. Cavalli's opera LA CALISTO explores the ecstasy, chaos, and consequences that gods and mortals are willing to endure in the relentless pursuit of love.