Lorenzo Da Ponte

Librettist

b. March 10, 1749
d. August 17, 1838

The life of Lorenzo Da Ponte was a string of adventures worthy of a movie script. He managed to scale the heights of fame and plumb the depths of infamy in a life spanning eight decades and two continents. 

Da Ponte trained for the priesthood. He began making his living by teaching in and around Venice, where he became well known for his wit, charm, and liberal politics. His actions and viewpoints led to his banishment from teaching and then exile from Venice in 1779.

After a brief time in Dresden where he translated plays, Da Ponte moved to Vienna on the recommendation of composer Antonio Salieri. Within two years in Vienna, he had won favor with the Emperor to secure a position as poet to the court theater. Here Da Ponte flourished, collaborating with Mozart and Salieri among others.

Following the accession of a new Emperor in 1790, Da Ponte left his position. He returned to Venice but was again chased out by his enemies. From Venice he traveled to Paris in 1792. Political instability caused him to leave Paris for London. DaPonte would then travel to Brussels, Amsterdam, and the Hague to promote Italian opera and form opera companies. While in London, he joined the King’s Theatre Haymarket. In 1805, he chose to emigrate to the United States.

From then until his death in 1838, Da Ponte held various jobs. He was a grocer in New York and Pennsylvania. He sold Italian books. He held a chair in Italian literature at Columbia University. Da Ponte dedicated the last three decades of his life to the promotion of Italian opera, literature, and culture in the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen.