Program Note by Frederick Fennell:Menin composed his Canzona as a part of the continuing series of commissions from Edwin Franko Goldman in cooperation with the League of Composers, and it was first played by the Goldman Band. The concept of the "canzona" as set forth here is not that of lyrical song implied by the name, but rather that of the early baroque "canzona" so brilliantly exploited by Gabrieli (1555-1612) at the Cathedral of St. Mark in Venice to display contrasting wind and string sonorities together with rhythmic-polyphonic virtuosity. Using the reeds and brasses of the band in alternate tonal blocks, Menin has created a stunning essay of the same type in the twentieth-century manner.
The above note can be found in Band Music Notes by Norman Smith and Albert Stoutamire.