Matteis: False Consonances of Melancholy (Alpha Collection)

Featuring

Amandine Beyer
Gli Incogniti
Nicola Matteis

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Matteis's music is characterized by an oscillation between certainty and magic, the known and the impalpable, often juxtaposing familiar elements with enigmatic ones.

Composer Biography

Nicola Matteis, the composer of this album's music, was an excellent violinist, a quality immediately evident when listening to or playing his music.

Interpretation

To interpret Matteis's music, the performers followed his advice from 'The False Consonances of Musick' to vary dynamics and play 'melancholy notes' sweetly and delicately.

Interpretation

The performers on this album experimented with holding the violin very low, a position Matteis himself used, which changes the instrument's sound to be more resonant and affects bowing.

Historical Context

In the 17th century, the concept of a 'school' of musical technique was not firmly established, meaning almost every musician, like Nicola Matteis, had their own unique approach.

Compositional Technique

Matteis's compositions, while violinistic in tone, often feature surprising harmonies, melodic lines that suggest depression or madness, and rhythms that become obsessively dizzying.