Richard Lane

Serenade For Flute, Viola d'Amore And Strings

Partitur und Solostimmen


In early 1986, with the approaching Third International Viola d'amore Congress, July 10-12, 1986 at The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA, I spoke to my friend Richard Lane to consider writing a new composition for the viola d'amore for that congress. Richard Lane had already written his Sonata for Viola d'amore and Piano in 1984, his first for viola d'amore, a successful work for the instrument. I suggested a work for flute, viola d'amore and strings. He liked that idea and so out came the wonderful, one-movement Serenade for soli flute and viola d'amore with string orchestra. Richard Lane's melodic gifts, his fresh harmonies and hard-to-describe 'American' sounds are evident in this charming work. He uses idiomatic double stops on the viola d'amore very successfully and with the strings playing 'con sordino,' the overall sounds are gentle and accessible ones. The first performance of this work was given July 11, 1986 with Stephen Robbins, flute and this writer on viola d'amore. Myron Rosenblum Sunnyside, New York August, 2006