Francesco Cavalli

Francesco Cavalli (1602–1676) was one of the most influential composers of early Venetian opera. A pupil and lifelong colleague of Claudio Monteverdi, he helped establish opera as a popular theatrical art form in 17th-century Venice, composing music that combined expressive vocal writing with vivid drama and irresistible theatrical energy.

Cavalli composed more than 40 operas, many of which were performed across Italy and beyond. His music is characterised by lyrical melodies, emotional immediacy and a keen instinct for dramatic storytelling, balancing moments of tenderness and pathos with wit, sensuality and comic invention.

Among his most celebrated works is L’Egisto (1643), one of the earliest operas to achieve international success. Blending romance, mistaken identities, jealousy and comic intrigue, Egisto captures the rich theatrical world of Venetian opera and showcases Cavalli’s remarkable ability to turn human emotion into compelling musical drama.

Nearly four centuries later, Egisto remains a vivid example of why Cavalli’s operas were so revolutionary: intimate, dramatic and deeply human, with music that speaks directly to the passions of its characters.