Leoncavallo’s Whimsical Opinion of His “Clowns”

Composers don’t always enjoy jokes at their own expense—especially when the joke makes them look like plagiarists. Ruggero Leoncavallo, though, swore this one was too good not to tell.

While visiting the town of Forlì, he learned that his opera *Pagliacci* (“Clowns”) was being performed. He decided to attend incognito; almost no one knew he was in town.

At the theatre he found himself seated beside a bright, enthusiastic young woman. When she noticed he wasn’t applauding with everyone else, she turned and asked why.

Leoncavallo, amused, replied that the work actually annoyed him—that it was the piece of a mere beginner. The woman snapped that he must be ignorant of music. “Oh no,” he said, and then began to ‘educate’ her by shredding the opera: this theme, he hummed, was borrowed; that aria was stolen from Bizet; another idea came straight from Beethoven.

She listened in silence, pity on her face. At the end she asked if he truly meant it. “Entirely,” he said. “Good,” she replied, and walked out.

The next morning Leoncavallo opened the paper and froze: the headline read, in effect, “Leoncavallo on his *Pagliacci*,” followed by a full report of the conversation—accurately attributed. He had spent the evening roasting his own opera to… a lady reporter.

He reportedly swore never again to make disparaging remarks about his own works to lively young ladies—no matter how charming they seemed.