Da Ponte, Lorenzo

(born Emanuele Conegliano), famous Italian librettist; b. Ceneda, near Venice, Mar. 10, 1749; d. N.Y., Aug. 17, 1838. Although he was of a Jewish family, Da Ponte was converted to Christianity at the age of 14 and assumed the name of his patron, Lorenzo da Ponte, bishop of Ceneda. He then studied at the Ceneda Seminary and at the Portogruaro Seminary, where he taught from 1770 to 1773.

In 1774 Da Ponte obtained a post as professor of rhetoric at Treviso but was dismissed in 1776 because he refused to accept the church's teachings regarding natural law. He then went to Venice, where he led an adventurous life, but was banished from that city in 1779 for adultery.

Da Ponte subsequently lived in Austria and in Dresden; in 1782 he settled in Vienna and became official poet to the Imperial Theater. His most important professional association came in Vienna, when he met and befriended WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART. Da Ponte wrote the books (or LIBRETTOS) for Mozart's most famous operas, Le nozze di Figaro, DON GIOVANNI, and Così fan tutte. These are considered among the greatest operas of all time. Mozart's music and Da Ponte's text perfectly complement each other.

From 1792 to 1798 Da Ponte was in London. He traveled in Europe, then went to N.Y. in 1805. After disastrous business ventures, with intervals of teaching, he became interested in various operatic enterprises. In his last years he taught Italian at Columbia College.