Giovanni Battista Casti

Giovanni Battista Casti (29 August 1724 - 5 February 1803) was an Italian poet, satirist, and author of comic opera librettos, born in Montefiascone. He rose to the dignity of canon in the cathedral of his native place, but gave up his chance of church preferment to satisfy his restless spirit by visiting most of the capitals of Europe. In 1782, on the death of Metastasio, he was appointed Poeta Cesario, or poet laureate of Austria, in which capacity he applied himself with great success to the opera bouffe; but in 1796 he resigned this post, in order that he might not be hampered by political relations; and he spent the close of his life as a private gentleman at Paris, where he died in 1803. Casti is best known as the author of the "Novelle galanti", and of "Gli Animali parlanti", a poetical allegory, over which he spent eight years (1794-1802), which excited so much interest that it was translated into French, German and Spanish, and (very freely and with additions) into English, in W. S. Rose's "Court and Parliament of Beasts" (Lond, 1819). Written during the time of the Revolution in France, it was intended to exhibit the feelings and hopes of the people and the defects and absurdities of various political systems. The "Novelle Galanti" is a series of poetical tales, in the "ottava rima" metre largely used by Italian poets for that class of compositions. One merit of these poems is in the harmony and purity of the style, and the liveliness and sarcastic power of many passages.

Operas for which he provided the librettos include

*"Il re Teodoro in Venezia" (music by Giovanni Paisiello, 1784) [http://www.librettidopera.it/reteod/reteod.html] )
*"La grotta di Trofonio" (music by Antonio Salieri, 1785) [http://www.resmusica.com/actu_presse/article.php3?id_article=31]
*"Prima la musica e poi le parole" (music by Antonio Salieri, 1786) [http://www.rodoni.ch/opernhaus/salieri/salieriutet.html]

References