b. Milan 1749, d. Dublin 1816
Italian who settled in Edinburgh in 1784, after making appearances in Glasgow singing Scots songs. He published six volumes of Scots songs and included original songs of his own composition. He set up a music shop and publishing house with Edward Liston in Princes Street, Edinburgh. After losing much money as an impressario, he died in Dublin, penniless. Burns is known to have heard Urbani sing and although admiring his voice, he felt his arrangements of traditional Scots folksongs to be inappropriate.
Many of Urbani’s works appear to have been lost.
Books 4–6
A Collection of New Strathspey Reels. etc., with a bass for the violoncello or harpsichord, with additions, the bass’s corrected by P. Urbani.
A Selection of Minuets, High Dances, Cottilions, Scots Airs, etc., adapted for the pianoforte or harpsichord.
A Selection of Scots Songs, harmonized, improved with simple and adapted graces. Books 1–3
A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs, for the voice, with introductory & concluding symphonies & accompaniments for the piano forte, violin & violoncello.
A Favorite Selection of Scots Tunes by Urbani & Liston properly arranged as duettos for two German flutes or two violins by P. Urbani.
