Antonio Cesti (1623-1669) was a Franciscan monk and opera composer whose brief career historically fits in between those of Claudio Monteverdi and Jean-Baptiste Lully. Cesti joined the Franciscan order in 1637, yet his association with the Medici family brought Cesti into contact with the theatrical world. He became an opera composer, working with his own libretti. Orontea (1649 or 1656) is Cesti's most enduring work; his involvement in a love affair with a married actress and open defiance of his employers -- among them the sitting Pope of the era -- may have ensured a short career for the ill-fated Cesti.