Memoirs of Lorenzo da Ponte

The memoirs give interesting insights into the world of music and patronage in eighteenth century Europe. Da Ponte comes across as a sincere but naïve person. He was undoubtedly a gifted librettist but he was probably very bad at the business of music or in fact any business. I had been hoping to learn about his collaboration with Mozart but there is very little information. Overall an interesting autobiography.

Lorenzo da Ponte was the librettist of three of Mozart's greatest operas, Il Nozze di Figaro, Cosí fan Tutte, and what is probably my favorite opera of all time, Don Giovanni. A converted Jew who was at various times a priest, a gambler and the proprietor of a bordello, among many other occupations, Da Ponte was a friend of Casanova and the protegé of Clement Moore. The memoirs end a few months after he has opened a bookstore in New York.