Biography
Although trained as a lawyer and active as a publisher, Teodoro Cottrau found his professional energies largely absorbed by the production and legal oversight of printed works. His circle of acquaintances encompassed Verdi, Bellini, Donizetti, Pacini, and the Ricci brothers. Songwriting served as the principal channel for his own musical gifts; he produced some fifty melodies, three of which—“Santa Lucia,” “Addio mia bella Napoli,” and “Sorrentina”—remain among his best-known contributions.