Mozart's notorious librettist is reborn.

Lorenzo da Ponte led a scandalous life that rivaled the stories he committed to paper, including some of his most popular operas: Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, and The Marriage of Figaro. After becoming a priest and poet in Venice, he was banished when it was discovered that he had connections to many brothels and a secret family with two children. Luckily, he was introduced to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Austria and flourished as a librettist. His new-found fame gained him access to the upper echelons of European society. Yet after much success, Da Ponte found himself bankrupt and needing to flee once more. He sought refuge in America where he made a modest living as a grocer before rising again to establish the New York City’s first opera company in 1833.