Cotta

Johann Friedrich Freiherr Cotta von Cottendorf (1764-1832)
The Gryphon or Greif, logo since 1839
Typical cover ca.1900

Contents

History

The firm was founded by Johann Georg Cotta (1631-1692) in 1659 in Tübingen after he had taken over the university bookseller. The business passed to Cotta's son, also Johann Georg after the founder's death in 1692, and then to the latter's eldest son (Also Johann Georg) in 1712 and to Christoph Friedrich Cotta (1730-1807). The most famous Cotta was Johann Friedrich Freiherr Cotta von Cottendorf (1764-1832), an energetic publisher, businessman and public servant, who must be the only publisher to have also founded a steamboat company.

The firm stayed in the family, initially prospering because it had the monopoly of publishing Goethe and Schiller (until 1867) but in 1889 it passed out of Cotta family hands after 200 years, bought by Adolf and Paul Kröner. Its music publishing activity seems to have been between 1863 and 1910, mostly of the Viennese classics apart from a few songs by von Hornstein and piano teaching editions.

The Ernst Klett educational publishing house bought the company in 1936. Finally in 1977 Klett-Cotta was relaunched and now publishes non-fiction books (mainly psychology) and fantasy titles.

Editions


Imprints, Agencies, Addresses

  • J.G. Cotta

Plate Numbers

Plate Composer Work Year
23 Beethoven Sonaten und andere Werke, v. 4 (Op.53-90) 1891
24 Lebert Grosse theoretisch-praktische Klavierschule (collab. with Stark) 1872
32 Beethoven Sonaten und andere Werke, v. 1 (Op.2-14) 1891
33 Beethoven Sonaten und andere Werke, v. 2 (Op.22-49) 1891
34 Beethoven Sonaten und andere Werke, v. 3 (Op.33-51) 1891
35 Beethoven Sonaten und andere Werke, v. 5 (Op.101-129) 1891
35 Beethoven Piano Sonata No.28, Op.101 1891

Sources Consulted

  • 1. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie.
New York and London: Macmillan Publications, 1980.

Authority control

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