Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857-1919) was an Italian opera composer and librettist, best known as one of the leading figures of verismo. Born in Naples, he trained at the conservatory there and later worked in several European musical centres.

His enduring masterpiece is Pagliacci, first performed in 1892, often paired with Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana. He also wrote La bohème, Zazà and other operas, as well as songs.

Leoncavallo’s music is direct, theatrical and emotionally immediate, with strong vocal lines and a sharp instinct for stage tension. He wrote words and music with the practical sense of a theatre man.

One opera has dominated his reputation, but Pagliacci alone is enough to secure him. Its greasepaint, jealousy and heartbreak still cut cleanly through the footlights.