Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni (; 7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian
composer most noted for his
operas. His 1890 masterpiece
Cavalleria Rusticana caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the
Verismo movement in Italian dramatic music. While it was often held that Mascagni, like
Leoncavallo, was a "one-opera man" who could never repeat his first success,
L'amico Fritz and
Iris have remained in the repertoire in Europe (especially Italy) since their premieres. Mascagni said that at one point,
Iris was performed in Italy more often than
Cavalleria (cf. Stivender).