Matteis, Nicola

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Matteis, Nicola

Matteis, Nicola, Italian violinist and composer, who settled in London in 1672. He publ, there 4 books of violin pieces (airs, preludes, fugues, allemandes, sarabands, etc.) under varying Italian and English titles; also The False Consonances ofMusick, or, Instructions for playing a true Base upon the Guitarre, with Choice Examples and Clear Directions to enable any man in a short time to play all Musicali Ayres, etc. In addition, he wrote A Collection of New Songs (2 vols., London, 1696). His son, also named Nicola (d. 1749), lived in Vienna and in Shrewsbury, England. He was Burney’s teacher.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire