Cottrau

See: Scores published by Cottrau

History

Founded in 1855 by Teodoro Cottrau (1827-1879), the composer, lawyer, poet and politician. Teodoro was the son of Guillaume Louis Cottrau (1797-1847) a virtuoso double bass player and renowned collector of Neapolitan songs, notably the very popular Passatempi musicali, a collection of 129 Neapolitan songs which was issued from 1835 to 1847. The elder Cottrau was also the director of the Naples music publisher Giuseppe Girard, and in 1828 he purchased the third part of his firm (which dated to 1809), but he didn't never want to appear in its name. Teodoro became Girard's director upon the retirement of his father in 1846 and a joint owner two years later. The younger Cottrau started his own firm in 1855 and continued as director until retiring around 1875.

Besides reprinting Guglielmo's popular collection Passatempi musicali, Cottrau issued a number of similar Neapolitan collections under his own imprint, notably Eco del Vesuvio and a large number of Neapolitan songs. Piano works issued include the collection L’ape musicale pianistica plus numerous individual works, some of which appeared in the house journal Gazzetta musicale di Napoli. Vocal scores were also issued, including Verdi's Simon Boccanegra and Herold's Le pré aux clercs, which appeared with the premiere of the Italian translation at Naples' Teatro Filarmonico in 1872..

Editions

• Passatempi musicali

1835-1847. 129 Neapolitan songs. First issued privately in 1826, reprinted in 1830 with translation by A. de Lauzières and subsequently licensed to the Paris publisher Pacini. Issued again by T. Cottrau in 1865 (Plate 8062).

• Eco del Vesuvio

1847 ca.-1872. A collection of Neapolitan songs by various composers (included the Cottraus).

• Ape Musicale Pianistica

Six miscellaneous collections of piano pieces.

• Simon Boccanegra

Arrangement for piano and voice.

Known addresses