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Ground after the Scotch Humour
An infectious, virtuosic piece that immediately demonstrates why Matteis dazzled London — tuneful and exciting.
Composer
Nicola Matteis
1 work · 1 upcoming work performed
Violin MusicChamber MusicGuitar Music
Matteis was the Italian violin virtuoso who conquered London in the 1670s and helped transform English musical taste. His playing was so extraordinary that it reportedly left even the great English musicians speechless, and his published collections of violin music introduced a new level of Italianate fire and elegance to the English musical scene. He's a hidden gem of the Baroque whose music is just now being fully rediscovered.
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Upcoming Performances
1 concert featuring works by this composer
Sun, Apr 19
New York·Carnegie Hall·2:00 PM
MATTEISSuite in G Major
+ additional works
Amandine Beyerviolinist
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Where to Start
New to Nicola Matteis? These works make great entry points.
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Ayres for the Violin: selected airs and dances
Individual movements from his collections are short, charming, and immediately appealing — perfect sampler pieces.
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Diverse bizzarrie sopra la vecchia Sarabanda
Variations that start simply and grow increasingly wild — a thrilling demonstration of Baroque improvisation in written-out form.
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Essential Works
The works that define Nicola Matteis's legacy.
Ayres for the Violin, Books I-IV
His published collections are treasure troves of Baroque violin music — suites, dances, preludes, and airs of extraordinary variety and quality.
Ground after the Scotch Humour
A brilliant set of variations on a Scottish-style bass that showcases his inventive, virtuosic approach to the violin.
Diverse bizzarrie sopra la vecchia Sarabanda
Dazzling variations on a sarabande theme that reveal his improvisatory brilliance and technical command.
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Beyond the Familiar
The False Consonances of Musick (guitar treatise and pieces)— A violin virtuoso's guide to the guitar — historically fascinating and musically rewarding.
Arias with trumpet and strings— Festive, brilliant music that brings Matteis's Italianate flair to larger ensemble forces.
Preludes and improvisatory movements from the Ayres— Free-form pieces that capture the spontaneous excitement of Baroque improvisation.
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About Nicola Matteis
Musical style, influences, and more
Musical Voice
Matteis's violin music combines Italianate lyrical beauty with dazzling passagework and a remarkable harmonic adventurousness. His pieces range from tender, singing airs to wild, improvisatory preludes and dances. His use of scordatura tuning and extended techniques was advanced for his time, and his ability to make the violin both sing and blaze sets him apart from most contemporaries.
Influences & Connections
He arrived in London from Naples around 1672 and quickly dominated the musical scene. His playing influenced English musicians including Henry Purcell, who absorbed elements of Matteis's Italianate style. John Evelyn and Roger North left vivid accounts of his performances. He helped catalyze the English taste for Italian music that would eventually bring Handel to London.
Career Arc
He arrived in London as an unknown immigrant and rapidly became the toast of musical society. He published four books of 'Ayres for the Violin' that were widely distributed and influential. His later years are more obscure — he may have moved to the countryside to teach. His son, also Nicola Matteis, became a significant musician in continental Europe.
Did You Know?
The English diarist Roger North wrote that when Matteis first arrived in London, he was so poor he played in alehouses. But once the gentry heard him play, 'the Identity of his manner charmed all' and he quickly rose to become the most fashionable musician in England. His rags-to-riches story is one of the great tales of Baroque musical life.
Hidden Gem
Matteis published a treatise on guitar playing, 'The False Consonances of Musick,' which is one of the most important Baroque guitar instruction books. Like Paganini after him, this violin virtuoso was also a serious guitarist.
Programming Context
Matteis is experiencing a genuine revival thanks to Baroque violin specialists like Rachel Podger, who has recorded his music to great acclaim. His works appear increasingly on early music recitals and festival programs. He's a perfect discovery for anyone who loves Baroque violin music but has exhausted the more familiar Corelli-Vivaldi-Bach core repertoire.
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Works
1 works in catalog
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Works with Upcoming Performances(1)
Suite in G Major1 upcoming
Showing 1 of 1 works