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 capa...
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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....
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