Lorenzo Da Ponte

Biography

Lorenzo Da Ponte, the librettist behind Mozart's immortal operas such as The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte, carried Italian lyricism from Europe to the young United States and inspired American audiences with a rich international culture.

He spent his later years teaching Italian in New York, promoting opera, and nurturing the arts, and though he died far from St. Louis, his remains now rest at Calvary Cemetery, linking that city with an extraordinary life in letters and music.