Leoncavallo on a 1910 postcard
Ruggero (or Ruggiero) Leoncavallo (UK: /ˌleɪɒnkæˈvæloʊ/ LAY-on-kav-AL-oh, US: /ˌleɪoʊnkəˈvɑːloʊ, -kɑːˈ-/ LAY-ohn-kə-VAH-loh, -kah-, Italian: [rudˈdʒɛːro leˌoŋkaˈvallo]; 23 April 1857 – 9 August 1919) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Although he produced numerous operas and other songs throughout his career it is his opera Pagliacci (1892) that remained his lasting contribution, despite attempts to escape the shadow of his greatest success.
Today he remains largely known for Pagliacci, one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the opera repertory. His other compositions include the song "Mattinata", popularized by Enrico Caruso, and the symphonic poem La Nuit de mai.