Their Forefather Was a Grocer and Mozart’s Most Important Librettist
The New York Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Alex Da Ponte visited Sunbury, Pennsylvania, where his ancestor Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart’s key librettist and a significant figure in introducing Italian opera to the U.S., once ran a grocery store.
- Lorenzo Da Ponte was a multifaceted historical figure—priest, gambler, seducer, and companion to Casanova—who moved from Vienna to Pennsylvania over 200 years ago.
- Alex, a Memphis-based singer and songwriter, has embraced his Italian heritage and Da Ponte legacy more fully as an adult, expressing pride in his ancestor’s adventurous and ambitious life.
- The visit inspired Alex to publicly honor Lorenzo with a heartfelt tribute on social media, reflecting on the shared traits of ambition and boldness.
