The Classical Music Minute
The Classical Music Minute is a short, engaging classical music podcast that explores the stories, composers, and curious traditions behind the world’s greatest music.
Ever wondered who the Florentine Camerata were? Where the conductor’s baton came from? Or what the difference is between opera buffa and opera seria?
Hosted by Canadian composer and storyteller Steven Hobé, each episode offers a quick and entertaining journey through classical music history, uncovering fascinating facts about composers, famous works, opera, orchestras, and musical traditions.
Whether you’re a lifelong music lover or simply curious about classical music, hop around music history with Steven—one musical minute at a time.
The Classical Music Minute
Lorenzo Da Ponte: The Words Behind Mozart’s Greatest
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Description
In this minute of classical music history, I’ll showcase Mozart’s partner in crime, Lorenzo Da Ponte, who was librettist to many in the operatic world at the time, including writing for three of Mozart’s greatest works.
Fun Fact
At the age of 79, Da Ponte became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Five years later, he founded America's first opera house, the New York Opera Company. Unfortunately, it lasted only two seasons due to his lack of business savvy and was promptly disbanded. However, it was the predecessor of the New York Academy of Music and the Metropolitan Opera.
About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.
A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.
Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com
Love classical music? There's more to discover.
If you enjoyed this episode, you can read the companion article and subscribe on Substack at The Classical Music Minute. And for a brand-new narrated classical music story every day, download the Classical Minute app for iPhone.
Until next time, I'm Steven Hobé. Thanks for listening to The Classical Music Minute.
Hi, I’m Steven Hobé
So who was the word magician behind some of Mozart’s greatest operas?
That would be the librettist Lorenzo da Ponte who wrote 28 operas by 11 composers, including Mozart's Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte.
But just when you thought Mozart led a scandalous life, get a load of his partner in crime Lorenzo. He was a Catholic priest but happened to take on a mistress with whom he had two children.
He was charged with 'public concubinage' as well as allegedly living in a brothel. He was found guilty and banished from Venice for 15 years.
Amid debt and bankruptcy, Da Ponte immigrated to the US. where he briefly ran a grocery shop, worked as a distiller, provided private Italian and French lessons, and then opened a book shop in New York.
A colourful life indeed—So, it’s not that much of a leap to surmise how Da Ponte’s vivid imagination and mastery of words were a perfect fit with Mozart’s operatic vision.