Leoncavallo - 1895 item

I found this old photo of Leoncavallo in an old copy of the weekly magazine 'Photos- The Popular Album' dated August 17 1895.
It is accompanied by an amusing text comparing him with Mascagni.

First record to sell a million copies

So Elvis Presley wasn't the first to sell a million copies of a record!!

In 1907 the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso recorded on the Victrola label "Vesti la giubba" from "Pagliacci" by Leoncavallo.

The video below is of the actual record being played.

The photo (courtesy Wikipedia) is of Caruso playing a "Victrola" phonograph.

Read more at 52composers.com

Happy Birthday Ruggiero Leoncavallo

Ruggiero Leoncavallo was born on 23 aprile 1857, 153 years ago.
However he used to tell people that he was born on 8 March 1858. This was to make himself appear younger than his great rival Giacomo Puccini who was born on 22 dicembre 1858.

What a 'pagliaccio'!!

Thanks to Antonio Pisanti for this interesting factoid.

Leoncavallo's 90th anniversary

Today 9th August is the 90th anniversary of the death of the Italian opera composer Ruggero Leoncavallo in Montecatini, Tuscany in 1919.
He is buried in the Cimitero Monumentale delle Porte Sante, Florence.
I hope they have a party up there!

2009 Opera Calendar

I have just finished a 2009 calendar featuring opera composers: Puccini, Mozart, Berlioz, Bellini, Mascagni, Rossini, Bizet, Wagner, Handel, Offenbach, Verdi and Leoncavallo.
It is at cafepress.
I am going to try various POD suppliers to see the differences. I will report here my findings.
Cafepress do three formats for their 12 page calendar

• Standard Wall Calendar (which I have used)
  page size 11" x 8.5" (11" x 17" when hung)
  100lb cover weight high gloss paper
  wire-o binding
  Jan - Dec 2009
  US holiday dates only
• Oversize Wall Calendar
  as above except
  page size 17" x 11" (17" x 22" when hung)
• Vertical Wall Calendar
  page size 11" x 17" (11" x 17" when hung)
  10pt heavyweight high gloss paper
  rest as above.