Richard Lane

Canzone

Richard Lane and I were both drafted into the U.S. Army in October, 1956 and met during our second session of basic training at the Band School, Ft. Dix, New Jersey in January, 1957. We became immediate friends and, in addition to the usual army chores, we managed to find time to play chamber music for violin, viola and piano, along with some other draftees at the Band School. One of these was Richard Berman, an excellent violinist who happened also to be an old friend of mine. Richard Lane eventually composed the Canzone for the same combination of instruments. This short work was Richard's first work for viola. Many more works for and with viola would follow. I believe the more mellow sounds and alto range of the viola suited his temperament very well and he never ceased to write inspired music for that instrument. The Canzone looks back to the Italian genre of a work of lyrical expression, and also to the contrapuntal canzona of the late Renaissance with its imitative writing, but within the context of contemporary harmonies and meter changes. Despite its brevity, the Canzone is a charming work. Myron Rosenblum Sunnyside, New York, USA, August, 2006