Matteis, Nicola - Ayrs for the violin - Schmitt, Hélène (violin)

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Hélène Schmitt (violin & direction); Eric Bellocq (theorbo, guitar); Gaetano Nasillo (cello); Jörg-Andreas Bötticher (harpsichord, positive organ)

It was a musician hailing from Naples who was to introduce London to the delights of the violin and the spice of Italian music, for which the British would become passionate. Nicola Matteis published his Ayres for Violin in four separate volumes or parts. The first two volumes, scored for violin and basso continuo, appeared in 1676.The violin and basso parts occupied facing pages in the same book.The other two volumes initially appeared in the same format in 1685, but 1687 saw the release of separate, "Second Treble" books for parts Three and Four, as well as several new pieces which were appended to Part Four. According to Charles Burney: "he polished and refined English ears and made them fit and eager for the sonatas of Corelli". Matteis is therefore an essential link in the history of English baroque music, who ousted the Italian style and prepared the way for Geminiani, Carbonelli and Giardini who followed him to London.