Album Notes

Duo Patterson was formed in 1980 in the Principality of Monaco with the encouragement of Princess Grace of Monaco. The unique violin and viola duo has performed in recitals and as soloist with orchestras in the major cities of France, Italy, Monaco, England, Spain, Switzerland, Czechoslavakia, Germany (both East and West) and the United States. They have performed often on European and American television, and have recorded for VOX, CRI and Ante Aeternum records. They have given many world premiers, as well as having duos for violin and viola and double concertos with orchestra written for them. They received the first Princess Grace Foundation U.S.A. Special Award in 1984 in New York.

"The epitome of ensemble playing...a virtuoso tour de force" (Fort Worth Star Telegram)

"Le duo le plus uni du monde" (Nice Matin)

"The beautiful textures created by these two instruments alone provide a heavenly repast for string lovers, who should enjoy the regal treatment given to such rarely encountered compositions". (Chattanooga Times)

Violinist Ronald Patterson is the Professor of Violin and Chair of the Strings at the University of Washington School of Music, violinist in Duo Patterson, 1st Violin of the Rainier String Quartet, and Concertmaster of the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra. He was a student of Jascha Heifetz, Eudice Shapiro and Manuel Compinsky. Mr. Patterson has concertized extensively in the United States and Europe since the age of 11, performing 45 works (including 6 world premieres) in more than 150 solo performances with orchestra. He has been acclaimed for his "skill, authority and imagination" by the New York Times. From 1965 to 1999, he was Concertmaster of the Monte-Carlo, Houston, Denver, and Miami symphonies, St. Louis Little Symphony and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He was a founder and Associate Professor of the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University (Houston, 1974-1979). Assistant Professor at Washington University (St. Louis, 1967-1971), as well as on the faculty of Stetson University (Florida, 1975-1979), MacMurray College (Illinois, 1966) and the University of Miami (Florida, 1965). Mr. Patterson has recorded for CRI, ERATO, ORION, VOX, Ante Aeternum, Virgin Classics, Serenus, Philips, and EMI. A five time First Prize Winner of the Coleman Chamber Music Competition, he has performed chamber music with some of the greatest musicians of our day, including Heifetz, Piatigorsky and Szeryng. In 1998 he was named Officier de l'Ordre du Merite Culturel, one of the Principality of Monaco's highest honors.

Roxanna Patterson began her professional career at age 16 as a member of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Forth Worth Opera Orchestras. She later attended the Shepherd School of Music (Rice University) and played in the Houston Symphony, Houston Opera Orchestra and served as Concertmaster or the Houston Ballet Orchestra. Her teachers included Ron Patterson, Eudice Shapiro, Wayne Crouse and Karen Tuttle. In 1979 she moved to Monte Carlo with her husband Concertmaster Ron Patterson. There she changed from violin to viola and the couple formed the unique violin/viola ensemble Duo Patterson. A chamber music enthusiast, Roxanna has performed extensively in this capacity, recently recording the Hindemith Trio Op.47 for Viola, Heckelphone and Piano for the Centaur label. Roxanna has also recorded for the Ante Aeternum, CRI, and VOX labels, and appeared on European and American television. She has also appeared in recital and as soloist with orchestras in France, Italy, Germany, England, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, and the U.S. In 1984 she received the first Special Award from the Princess Grace Foundation and was recently decorated by Prince Rainier of Monaco with Chevalier de l'Ordre du Merite Culturel. She is the violist of the Rainier String Quartet and Principal Viola of the New Hampshire Music Festival. She and Ron have three children and reside in Seattle, Washington.

Bohuslav Martinu (1890-1959) was born in a room at the top of a church tower in the Bohemian town of Policka. The first twelve years of his life left a sense of space and pure forms of nature that found expressive sounds in his music. These two duos reflect his love of Czech and Moravian folk songs and incorporate his ideas of rhythmic drive, tonal fantasy, jazz, neo-classicism and deep emotional feelings of his homeland.

Ladislav Vycpalek (1882-1968) has a personal style characterized by counterpoint, Moravian folk melodies, dissonance and polyphonic development. He was isolated from the main current of Czech music of the time, and was denounced in 1950 for 'subjective and mystical" tendencies. Towards the end of his life he was recognized as the most important living Czech composer.

Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda (1801-1866) was born in Prague, graduated from the Prague Conservatory with the highest honors in theory and composition, worked as a violinist in the Prague Theater Orchestra and in 1822 became the court composer and violinist for Prince Carl Egon II in Donaueschingen, Germany. His two duos for violin and viola are remarkable for their complex double stop writing which gives his country melodies a unique chordal fullness.