Photo: Godfrey Kneller · Public domain · credits
Tier 3 · vertical & regional
Nicola Matteis
Person · male · Kingdom of Naples · Naples · born 1650 · died 1713 · recording since 1992
Italian composer
Listen on SpotifyYouTube Music
Also known as 尼古拉·馬泰斯
Timeline
6 events▣ Album 3◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1650s
1710s
1990s
· Debut release
Debut release: Suites & Sonates des 'Ayres for the Violin'
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
2000s
Biography
English biography537 words · 2 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1359631104
Biography
Nicola Matteis (Matheis) (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.
Very little is known of his early life, although Matteis was probably born in Naples, describing himself as 'Napolitano' in several of his works. He came to London in the early 1670s and according to the diarist Roger North, had a city merchant as a sponsor, who schooled him in the ways of currying favor from the gentry (by allowing them to accompany him in parlor recitals and other minor performances). John Evelyn reports in his diary for 19 November 1674, the earliest notice of Matteis, "I heard that stupendious Violin Signor Nichola (with other rare Musitians) whom certainly never mortal man exceeded on that instrument, he had a stroak so sweete, made it speaking like the Voice of a man and when he pleased, like a Consort of severall Instruments: he did wonders upon a Note: was an excellent Composer also. Nothing approched the violin in Nichola's hand: he seemed to be inspired and played such ravishing things on a ground as astonishd us all."
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.
His son, Nicola was likewise a good violinist, and lived for a long time in Vienna, but later resided in Shrewsbury as a violin and language teacher, and had Charles Burney among his students. He died in 1737, near Vienna.
Notable works
Ayrs For the Violin / Preludes, Allmands, Sarabands, Courantes, Gigues, Divisions, and Double Compositions fitted to all hands and capacities, by Nicola Matteis / The first Part (1676)
Other Ayrs, Preludes, Allmands, Sarabands... with full stops for the Violin, by Nicola Matteis / The Second Part (1676)
Ayres for the Violin to Wit... The Third and Fourth Parts / composed by Nicola Matteis (1685) / NOTE: It actually contains only the Third Part.
Other Ayres and Pieces For the Violin Bass Viol and Harpsichord somewhat more Difficult and Artificial then (sic) the former: Composed for the Practice and Service of greater Masters upon those Instruments By Nicola Matteis / The Fourth Part (1685).
A guide to playing the basso continuo on the guitar (“The false consonances of musick”).
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 11 | 61.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 3 | 77.1th |
| Studio albums | 3 | 80.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 6 | 80.8th |
| Recording span (years) | -279 | 2th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (3 release groups · 3 studio albums)
Albums · 3
Suites & Sonates des 'Ayres for the Violin'
1992 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 43 tracks · 1:10:44
1Suite in A major: I. Preludio - Presto1:152Suite in A major: II. Andamento con divisione2:153Suite in A major: III. Aria facile - Presto ['A minuett with a division bass']1:014Suite in A major: IV. Serio - Adagio ['A serious thing with stops']1:455Suite in A major: V. Aria in Passaggio - Prestissimo ['An ayre in passages']1:526Suite in A major: VI. Corrente - Allegro ['Courrant']1:567Suite in A major: VII. Jigg - Allegro ['A Jigg']1:078Suite in A major: VIII. Preludio a due corde ['Prelude with double stops']1:099Suite in A major: IX. Fuga - Allegro ['A fuga with double stops']0:5110Suite in A major: X. Andamento affettuoso2:1611Suite in A major: XI. Minuetto con sua divisione1:5112Suite in d minor: I. Preludio in D la sol ré - Prestissimo0:4413Suite in d minor: II. Fuga in Fantasia - Presto1:3114Suite in d minor: III. Grave - Adagio ['A grave thing']2:0915Suite in d minor: IV. Ground in D la sol ré - Allegro (Bizzarrie sopra un Basso per fare un pococ di mano)3:1316Suite in g minor: I. Preludio in ostinatione1:0217Suite in g minor: II. Passaggio rotto0:1718Suite in g minor: III. Andamento malinconico2:3319Suite in g minor: IV. Ricercata1:3220Suite in g minor: V. Corrente da orecchie1:3521Suite in g minor: VI. Corrente da piedi0:4522Suite in g minor: VII. Sarabanda2:2123Suite in g minor: VIII. Giga1:2124Suite in g minor: IX. Fuga1:2925Suite in e minor: I. Preludio semplice - Adagio1:3026Suite in e minor: II. Motivo - Presto ['A motion']0:4827Suite in e minor: III. Fuga a due corde ['Fuga with double stops']1:2428Suite in e minor: IV. Aria - Presto ['An Easy Ayre']1:1429Suite in e minor: V. Passagio a solo ['A single passage']2:0730Suite in e minor: VI. Allegro - Prestissimo ['A Brisk thing']0:5631Suite in e minor: VII. Ground (Bizzarrie sopra un basso malinonico) ['A pretty hard gound']3:4132Suite in e minor: VIII. Aria amorosa - Adagio ['Ayre']4:3233Sonata in c minor: I. Preludio1:5834Sonata in c minor: II. Aria2:1435Sonata in c minor: III. Aria - Allegro0:4636Sonata in c minor: IV. Gavotta0:4637Sonata in C major: I. Sonata - Adagio1:4738Sonata in C major: II. Fuga ['Fuga with first and second treble altogeather']1:2539Sonata in C major: III. Vivace ['An echo']2:3040Sonata in C major: IV. Fuga - Presto ['Another Fuga']1:4341Sonata in C major: V. Alemanda, per far la mano ['Alamand to make a hand']1:1042Sonata in C major: VI. Aria ['Ayre with a division']1:0243Sonata in C major: VII. Aria - Allegro ['Ayre with division in C-faut']1:212009 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 35 tracks · 1:14:43
1Suite en la: Allemanda presto2:122Suite en la: Aria con divisioni, allegro2:563Suite en la: Courante2:204Suite en la: Fuga, prestissimo1:025Suite en la: Sarabanda amorosa, adagio2:436Suite en do: Adagio1:557Suite en do: Gavotte a cembalo solo (extraite de Melothesia)0:298Suite en do: Jigg, prestissimo1:249Suite en do: Aria con divisioni1:2710Suite en do: Diverse bizzarie sopra la vecchia Sarabanda o pur Ciaccona5:5111Suite en mi: Preludio semplice, adagio2:1912Suite en mi: Passagio a solo e adagio2:4713Suite en mi: Giga allegro0:4114Suite en mi: Sarabanda con affetto2:0615Suite en mi: Fuga à due corde1:4516Suite en mi: Prestissimo0:5117Suite en mi: Ground4:3918Suite en la: Andamento adagio2:0619Suite en la: Passaggio rotto, Andamento veloce e Fantasia a violino solo senza basso5:3320Suite en la: Minuetto con sua divisione, Allegro2:4721Suite en la: Gigg a cembalo solo (extraite de Melothesia)0:4422Suite en la: Scaramuccia prestissimo1:4423Suite en ré: Improvisation en forme de prélude, grave3:0624Suite en ré: Aria di sarabanda fatta a chitarra sola2:1425Suite en ré: Sarabanda, adagio2:3426Suite en ré: Andamento presto e con affetto1:4927Suite en ré: Preludio in delasolre terza maggiore1:4328Suite en ré: Giga1:2829Suite en sol: Gavotta con divisioni fatta a chitarra sola e cembalo, senza violino2:0230Suite en sol: Ricercata2:1731Suite en sol: Corrente da piedi0:4832Suite en sol: Adagio1:3133Suite en sol: Burlesca1:1634Suite en sol: Corrente da orecchie1:3935Suite en sol: Prelude (violino solo)1:55False Consonances of Melancholy
2009 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 40 tracks · 1:12:47
1Ayres for the violin: Sonata - Adagio2:022Ayres for the violin: Diverse bizzarrie Sopra la Vecchia Sarabanda o pur Ciaccona4:143Ayres for the violin: Passagio rotto, Andamento Veloce2:144Ayres for the violin: Fantasia1:435Ayres for the violin: Preludio in fantasia1:166Ayres for the violin: Allegro2:017Ayres for the violin: Aria malinconica (Adagio)2:268Ayres for the violin: Giga (Allegro)0:419Ayres for the violin: Aria amorosa3:2410The False Consonances of Musick: Aria1:2211Ayres for the violin: Preludio1:2512Ayres for the violin: Musica (Grave-Presto)1:4213Ayres for the violin: Sarabanda (Adagio)2:3814The False Consonances of Musick: Aria1:1115Ayres for the violin: Aria burlesca (Presto)1:5716Ayres for the violin: Fuga (Prestissimo)1:0717Ayres for the violin: Giga, Al Genio Turchesco0:5718Ayres for the violin: Preludio0:5219Ayres for the violin: Adagio2:1120Ayres for the violin: Allemanda ad imitatione d'un tartaglia1:3721Ayres for the violin: Movimento incognito4:0622Ayres for the violin: Sarabanda Amorosa (Adagio)1:3423Ayres for the violin: Gavotta (Presto)1:4924Ayres for the violin: Preludio (presto)1:4225Ayres for the violin: Pavana Armoniosa2:0126Ayres for the violin: Il Russignolo1:1827Ayres for the violin: Preludio Allegro (Prestissimo), Malinconico (Adagio)1:2628Ayres for the violin: Aria (Adagio-Presto)2:2029Ayres for the violin: Vivace. Eco2:0730Ayres for the violin: Fuga (Presto)1:4431Ayres for the violin: Preludio (Adagio)1:3032Ayres for the violin: Prestissimo0:3533Ayres for the violin: Un poco di manera Italiana. Aria Ridicola (Presto)1:2634Ayres for the violin: Aria1:3335Ayres for the violin: Fantasia1:3636Ayres for the violin: Preludio in ostinatione. Passagio rotto1:0937Ayres for the violin: Andamento malinconico. Divisione ad libitum2:4338Ayres for the violin: Grave (Adagio)2:0439Ayres for the violin: Aria for the Flute1:1640Ayres for the violin: Giga1:48
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Nicola Matteis head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 11 | 61.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 3 | 77.1th |
| Studio albums | 3 | 80.9th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 6 | 80.8th |
| Recording span (years) | -279 | 2th |
| Genres | 1 | 56th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicola_Matteis%2C_by_Godfrey_Kneller.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0f7835c8-67b9-4545-94df-553f99478a01discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0f7835c8-67b9-4545-94df-553f99478a01core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q952236seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicola_Matteisbiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicola_Matteis
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Godfrey Kneller · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q952236 · MusicBrainz: 0f7835c8-67b9-4545-94df-553f99478a01