# Violin sonatas (suites) by Nicola Matteis



## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Nicola Matteis c.1640-c.1714
"Italian Baroque Violin Sonatas"
Ayres for the Violin - Volume 1
The Arcadian Academy
Classical Express HCX 3957067

These are suites, featuring the violin but with cello, archlute and/or guitar, and harpsichord. Period instruments, HIP.

Matteis came to England circa 1660, made his fortune and lived his life out there. His contemporaries describe him as an extraordinary violinist (who 'braced the violin against his shortribs' rather than his chin).

The documentation is not extensive, but is interesting. The music demonstrates rather dramatically that the Italian Baroque and the German Baroque were different things. The period instruments and a tendency for portamento may require an 'adjustment period' for the uninitiated. If you have already made the adjustment, I predict you will enjoy the music.

Classical Express is a Harmonia Mundi USA label. The music is listed at Amazon.con under The latter imprint.


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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

I couldn't resist this title









It is a selection of the movements listed in his _Ayres for the Violin_, four books of short pieces which you could pick and choose from to make your own works. It is fun upbeat music even the slow movements because as Matteis wrote in his book _The False Consonances of Musick_: 'You must not play allwayes alike, but somtimes Lowd and sometimes softly, according to your fancy, and if you meet with any Melancholy notes, you must touch them sweet and delicately.'

The playing is great with beautiful tone to the violin although the basso continuo seems a little loud and overwhelming to me.


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