La Calisto: Summary of plot and music.

Remember: as always, this may be subject to change and amendment.

Scene	Page	Plot	Music / singers
Prologue	1	Eternity, Nature and Destiny tell us about an ‘act of God’ which has created earthly devastation. They say that Calisto is destined to be lifted to the heavens as a star.	Sinfonia; trio: Eternity Destiny Nature Female chorus (chorus 1.)
Act 1 scene 1	13 17 19 27 30 40	Jove and Mercury appear, and lament the state of the earth; when Calisto, a follower of Diana, appears. they talk about her loveliness. She laments the state of the earth. She rejects Jove's lecherous advances, so he and Mercury plot to disguise Jove as Diana in order to seduce Calisto. It works and they enjoy it!	Jove and Mercury duet Calisto aria Jove, Mercury and Calisto converse; Calisto and ‘Diana’ duet Mercury solo
Scene 2	48 51	Introduces the real Diana and her earthly lover Endymion. Chorus 2 (followers of Diana). Love scene, with Linfea interfering and interrupting, trying to protect Diana (and her virginity).	Endymion solo Diana solo Chorus 2. Endymion, Linfea and Diana converse.
Scene 3	63 65 67 75	Calisto sings of her happiness at ‘Diana’’s love for her, (chorus supporting her) but the real Diana rejects her. Linfea laments her own loneliness. Satirino offers himself but Linfea rejects this half-goat creature.	Calisto, Diana and Linfea. Chorus 3 (Calisto’s supporters) Linfea solo Linfea and Satirino duet.
Scene 4	79 81 89	Pan, supported by his mates Satirino and Sylvano, woos the real Diana, who rejects him. The friends lament their lot. Satirino says he will spy on Diana and keep them informed. Chorus to comfort Pan. DANCE	Sinfonia. Pan, Satirino, Sylvano Diana Chorus 4 (Pan’s followers) Chorus DANCE
		INTERVAL
Act 2; scene 5	95 107	Love scene between Diana and Endymion. Satirino spies on them and says (to himself) that she is fickle, just like all women; she should accept Pan not that rustic Endymion. Children appear and dance, symbolising the good things about earthly and heavenly life.	Endymion aria Diana aria p.97 Duet p.101 Satirino aria p.107 Children’s dance.
Scene 6	110 114 118 121 122 124	Juno sings of her anger and jealousy that Jove is up to his seductions again. Calisto appears and tells Juno of her sadness and confusion. Juno works out Jove’s deception! Jove arrives, as Diana: chorus, and Calisto approaches him/her. He of course woos her again, to Juno’s anguish. Mercury attempts to fool Juno but she argues the truth with them.	Juno aria Duet: Calisto and Juno Jove, CHORUS 5 Calisto, Juno Mercury and Juno duet
Scene 7	132 136	Earthly love again: Endymion is the happiest he can imagine being. He embraces ‘Diana’, who is astounded that Diana has a lover but makes the most of it. Mercury says Jove should get rid of the disguise. Pan is jealous of Endymion and ties him up (chorus 6). Linfea enters, still looking for a husband; she and Satirino duet. Chorus changes the mood of the scene.	Sinfonia. Endymion. Jove as Diana; Mercury, Satirino, Sylvano, Pan. CHORUS 6 Linfea and Satirino duet. MONTEVERDI chorus (9)
Scene 8	152	Calisto, supported by Echo, thinks of the happiness of being in ‘Diana’’s arms.	Calisto Echo
Scene 9	155	Calisto feels horror as the Furies approach, singing that they will torture and punish Calisto. They turn her into a little bear. They are with Juno, who is furious at being cheated on and satisfied at Calisto’s fate.	Calisto Chief Fury Female chorus of Furies Juno
Scene 10	165 167 169 172 173 179	Endymion is refusing to renounce Diana, despite Pan’s threats of death (echoed by chorus as Pan’s followers). Diana saves him, denying Pan’s accusations that she made love to Endymion and chases him and his friends away. Love duet between Diana and Endymion. Jove, Mercury and the Chorus send Calisto up to the stars, where she resumes human shape	Endymion Pan CHORUS 9 Diana Sylvano CHORUS 10 Jove, Mercury