Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
New videos and pieces everyday.
Like and subscribe to our channel: youtube.com/channel/UCnecaf9_nSWT__lhfu4EYpg
Nicola Matteis (c. 1650 – after 1713) was the earliest notable Italian Baroque violinist in London, whom Roger North judged in retrospect "to have been a second to Corelli," and a composer of significant popularity in his time, though he had been utterly forgotten until the later 20th century.
Matteis enjoyed great artistic and commercial success with his published music, notably four books of Ayres (1676, 1685). According to North he nevertheless ended his days in ill health and poverty.
Matteis is credited with changing the English taste for violin playing from the French style to a newer, Italian one. Contemporaries described him as using a longer bow, with a new bow hold (closer to that used by modern players). His reputation grew through his lifetime and resulted in high praise for his live performances (in concert, audiences were often certain that more than one violin was being played) and widespread popularity for his music. Knowing many of his customers were amateurs, Matteis tended to give precise instructions in the prefaces to his published Ayres, providing detailed notes on bowing, explanations of ornaments, tempos, and other directions. These notes have proved valuable resources for scholars reconstructing the performance practices of the time.
Performers:
- La Serenissima
- Adrian Chandler (Director)
New videos and pieces everyday.
Like and subscribe to our channel: youtube.com/channel/UCnecaf9_nSWT__lhfu4EYpg
Nicola Matteis (c. 1650 – after 1713) was the earliest notable Italian Baroque violinist in London, whom Roger North judged in retrospect "to have been a second to Corelli," and a composer of significant popularity in his time, though he had been utterly forgotten until the later 20th century.
Matteis enjoyed great artistic and commercial success with his published music, notably four books of Ayres (1676, 1685). According to North he nevertheless ended his days in ill health and poverty.
Matteis is credited with changing the English taste for violin playing from the French style to a newer, Italian one. Contemporaries described him as using a longer bow, with a new bow hold (closer to that used by modern players). His reputation grew through his lifetime and resulted in high praise for his live performances (in concert, audiences were often certain that more than one violin was being played) and widespread popularity for his music. Knowing many of his customers were amateurs, Matteis tended to give precise instructions in the prefaces to his published Ayres, providing detailed notes on bowing, explanations of ornaments, tempos, and other directions. These notes have proved valuable resources for scholars reconstructing the performance practices of the time.
Performers:
- La Serenissima
- Adrian Chandler (Director)
