Lorenzo Da Ponte

Born Emmanuele Conegliano in Ceneda, Venetian Republic, Lorenzo da Ponte gained his new name after his father converted the family to Catholicism. Da Ponte, known later as Mozart’s librettist, began life as a poet, scribbling verse during tedious school lessons. Those teenage experiments, plus a solid grounding in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, primed him for the writing life ahead. When a young Mozart, already famous, requested his assistance, Da Ponte agreed; thus began their illustrious collaboration. Between librettos, Da Ponte lived adventurously, gambling, living in brothels, and writing seditious poetry, for which he was twice tried and convicted. Da Ponte settled in America, selling Italian books and writing a long, lively autobiography.