Corri, Domenico (1746 — 1825)
An Italian composer, conductor and music publisher. Born at Rome he became a pupil of Porpora at Naples On Dr Burney's recommendation, Corri and his wife, a singer, were invited to Edinburgh in 1781, where he became conductor of the Musical Society, a position he retained for 18 years. He lived for part of each year in Edinburgh, and part in London. About 1790, his 'piano manufacturing' and music selling business failed, and he settled permanently in London, where he went into partnership with the pianist and composer Dussek, who married his daughter. He died at Hampstead. His son, Natale, also settled in Edinburgh, and ran Corri's Concert Room, at the top of Leith Walk, among his other musical activities. Corri's works included the operas Alessandro Nell Indie and The Travellers. He wrote Six Canzones dedicated to Scots Ladies. More important was his New and Complete Collection of the most favourite Scots Songs including a few English and Irish which he published in 1783, and which had a title page designed by David Allan. Burns made several references to Corri's Scots songs in his letters to Thomson, revealing his knowledge of these, as of all such collections of the period. George Thomson said it was Corri's singing of old Scots songs which first led him to begin to make his own collection.
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