Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s two-act opera Pagliacci has always been popular on record, with the first ‘complete’ recording made in 1907, under the supervision of the composer himself. The present recording, described by the 1955 edition of the American Record Guide as “the most enjoyable performance we have ever heard” features Victoria de los Angeles in a role she had yet to sing on stage, and Jussi Björling whose interpretation of Canio is far removed from the overdramatic portrayal favoured by some of his Italian contemporaries. The inclusion of two of the Metropolitan Opera’s finest baritones of the day, Leonard Warren and Robert Merrill, completes a memorable cast.