Ruggero Leoncavallo
The father of verismo Today, Leoncavallo is known chiefly for his one-act opera Pagliacci, first performed in Milan in 1892. Together with Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana, with which it is often coupled in a ‘Cav and Pag’ double bill, it launched Italian opera’s ‘verismo’ movement, defined by gritty, real-life plots and strong emotional scenes.
Born in Naples in 1857, Leoncavallo forged his early career in Egypt and Paris before returning to Italy where, soon after being inspired by attending Cavalleria, he created his own major hit with Pagliacci, writing both the music and the words. That opera would prove the peak of his popularity, though he did also enjoy more limited success with his version of La bohème, premiered in 1897 (thus a year later than Puccini’s), and with Zazà (1900), the backstage story of the life and loves of a French music-hall artiste.
His later career, however, was dogged by mixed fortunes and his propensity to fall out with many of those he worked with – something he shared with his rival, Mascagni.