It is thought that Matteis came to London -- where he made his residence -- sometime around 1670. He was patronized by a merchant but was never able to receive the support of the royalty or nobility because of his lack of manners during concerts. This gradually improved. His technical abilities on the violin were almost beyond measure for when in concert people were certain that more than one violin was being played. Matteis was able to double and triple stop with great facility. Though his performing abilities declined in his later years, possibly due to dropsy, Matteis' musical compositions were sought for their bowing versatility and instruction. He composed a number of smaller pieces that were usually compiled into suites in arrangements extending from three to twelve `movements'. The suites were often written in a single key but Matteis explored chromaticism through the use of sevenths and augmented fifths; he would also employ the use of successive minor thirds when approaching a major cadence. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi