Viola

In April 1988, Richard Lane composed Concert Music for two violas and piano for Emanuel Vardi and his wife Lenore Weinstock. Emanuel was one of the great masters of his instrument during the 20th century. At age twelve Vardi entered The Juilliard... Read more

The four movements of this charismatic suite Quartet for violas demonstrate that Richard Lane was inspired by master composers who have created the milestones of music history but show he was also cognizant of the harmonic practices of his own time,... Read more

The viola featured prominently in the compositional output of Richard Lane. This Triptych, a suite in three movements for six violas, is one of the eleven pieces dedicated to Myron Rosenblum. Lane wrote this charming work in the last years of his... Read more

“Aria and Allegro is a beautifully rhapsodic piece with sections of rhythmic excitement. Lane took full advantage of the complete viola range, featuring the richness of the lower strings and the singing quality of the higher registers. Lane’s use of... Read more

The work begins with a majestic and somber Introduction that occurs in the form of a series of chords executed as double-stops, and which eventually evolves into a less intense and melancholic Barcarolle composed in a minor mode. A brief pizzicato... Read more

The one-movement work begins with an ostinato which builds with a large crescendo. The instrumental soloist responds violently with a cadenza which grows calmer to set up the appearance of a dissonant motif of ascending quarter notes which occurs... Read more

"Silhouette of a song" or "shadow of the sound" may seem at first glance to be a somewhat whimsical and contradictory title, but it is meant to describe a very real psychological experience. As human beings, we perceive auditory shadows, or images,... Read more

For form and style, this sonata belongs in a category with Schubert’s Arpeggione, Schumann’s Märchenbilder and other traditional staples of the viola’s repertoire, and it would fit well in a recital program where those works do. In structure, it is... Read more

Richard Lane’s lyrical autumnal style fits perfectly with the viola’s character, and in this approximately five-minute Nocturne, he manages to cover the full spectrum of the viola’s colors and range, while creating an emotional experience for the... Read more

The originality of these eight pieces clearly demonstrates Richard Lane’s fascination with the rich and emotional sounds produced by this alto clef instrument, and the underlying musical value and stylistic diversity of the music make these duos... Read more

These four movements cover a wide range of styles in a relatively short amount of time, from Tango and Baroque to the beautiful lyrical writing in the 2nd movement so characteristic of much of Richard’s output. Read more

I cast my Viola Sonata in four movements, deriving the thematic material of the entire sonata from the opening measures. The turbulent first movement is a variant of sonata form in which a new theme, a sinister trumpet-call that first appears in the... Read more