Rue Paradis: Chamber Works by Patrick Stoyanovich
Sophia Stoyanovich, Aaron Wolff, Derek Wang, Patrick Stoyanovich
Bridge Records 9593 (bridgerecords.com/products/9593?)
Listen
Romance for Violin and Piano - Listen on Spotify
Duo for Violin & Cello: I. Andante - Listen on Spotify
Violin Sonata No.1: I. Allegro molto - Listen on Spotify
Read the Review
Patrick Stoyanovich is a Pacific-Northwest-based composer, teacher and performer, and an outstanding jazz and concert pianist. On Rue Paradis several of his more recent chamber works are performed by his violinist daughter Sophia Stoyanovich, along with pianist Derek Wang and cellist Aaron Wolff (Bridge Records 9593 bridgerecords.com/products/9593?).
All of the works here are first recordings: the Romance for Violin and Piano from 2010; the Violin Sonata No.1 from 2016; the Duo for Violin and Cello “Field of Blackbirds” from 2014; and the Violin Sonata No.2 from 2020, the final moments of which feature the tender Rue Paradis theme that gives the CD its title. They’re predominantly tonal pieces that display solid craftsmanship and a satisfying dynamic and emotional range.
In her booklet notes Sophia says that her father’s compositions are not composed specifically with her in mind, but in a recent interview in the local Bainbridge Island Review both father and daughter agreed that their relationship proved essential for the music’s creation. “When you know somebody on that intimate of a basis, it really does make a musical connection and a huge difference in expression,” Patrick said. “I wrote these pieces for her, and her technique, and what she sounds like.”
