Richard Lane

A Little Afternoon Music

A Little Afternoon Music for flute and harp by Richard Lane, composed in September 1982, was written for two accomplished musicians from the New Jersey music scene: flutist and pianist Mary Billett MacMillin and harpist and educator Mary-Elizabeth Collins. The work reflects Lane’s tendency to compose for specific musicians with whom he maintained personal and professional relationships. Structured in five brief movements, this compact suite provides a particularly fitting setting for his gift for lyrical melody. The opening Andantino immediately establishes an intimate character: over a gently flowing harp accompaniment, the flute unfolds a sweeping, singing melody, enriched by chromatic turns. The second movement, "Very freely," offers a striking contrast: rhapsodic and improvisational, it allows the flute to float freely over sustained, shifting harp tones before flowing into a calm Lento conclusion. The central Allegro non troppo is livelier: changes in meter, register, articulation, and harmonic direction lend it a lively sense of momentum. The Andante returns to a lyrical mood with a more expansive, contemplative quality and gradually builds in intensity before receding poco a poco morendo toward a quiet conclusion. The concluding Allegro is the most extroverted movement: brisk flute lines meet sharply articulated chords, runs, and glissandi from the harp, which does far more than merely accompany—it supports, responds to, and alternately propels the flute forward. Clear formal structure, chromatically enriched tonality, rhythmic variety, and a keen sense of instrumental timbre lend the work warmth, elegance, and vitality—with an effortless charm that the title aptly captures.