Nostalgia for piano (Preview)

PROMETHEAN EDITIONS
VINCENT HO
Nostalgia
Piano

Vincent Ho
Nostalgia
Piano
PROMETHEAN EDITIONS
WELLINGTON

Nostalgia (PE161), for Piano by Vincent Ho (2011) dedicated to
Evelyn Glennie.
© Promethean Editions 2011
First edition © 2013 Promethean Editions Limited
Series Editor: Ross Hendy
Editor: Ben Woods
ISBN: 978-1-877564-56-7 (print)
ISBN: 978-1-77660-161-5 (ebook)
ISMN: 979-0-67452-185-7
Promethean Editions Limited
PO Box 10-143
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
http://www.promethean-editions.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by
any means without permission in writing from the Publisher.
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Vincent Ho (1975)
Born in Ontario, Canada, Vincent Ho began his musical training at Canada’s Royal
Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he received an Associate Diploma in Piano
Performance in 1993. Mentored by a series of composers including Allan Bell, David
Eagle, Christos Hatzis, Walter Buczynski, and Stephen Hartke, Ho gained degrees from the
University of Calgary and the University of Toronto, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the
University of Southern California. While still an undergraduate student, Ho was awarded
a scholarship to attend the Schola Cantorum Summer Composition Program in Paris,
France, where he received tuition from faculty of the Juilliard School of Music and the Paris
Conservatoire.
Ho sprang to prominence in 1999, when he received prizes for his first string quartet and his
piano work Three Scenes of Childhood, and an audience prize for the latter in the Toronto New
Music Festival. String Quartet No.1 received further recognition nearly a decade later when
it was nominated ‘Best Classical Composition of the Year’ in the Western Canadian Music
Awards following its release on CD.
Ongoing commissions have provided opportunities for Ho to produce many notable works
for orchestra, including Nighthawks (2000), Dragon Realms (2006), Red Zen (2008) and
Fallen Angel: In Memoriam Richard D’Amore (2008). Most significant is his Arctic Symphony
(2010), a work inspired by a trip to the Arctic, which has been described as ‘a mature and
atmospheric work that firmly establishes Ho among North American composers of note’
(Winnipeg Free Press). Additionally, Ho began a tenure as Composer in Residence with the
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in 2007.
Ho’s music is rich and energetic—a unique integration of influences. His work often
demonstrates the capacity to coherently synthesise and convey the felt inspiration incited
by a multitude of artistic mediums. This amalgamation of influences is evidenced in
Four Paintings by Leestemaker (2005), which musically construes the ‘murky,’ unsettling
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qualities communicated in the paintings of Leestemaker, and Arctic Symphony (2010), where
electroacoustic material is utilised in order to more effectively allow the listener to intuit
the natural soundscapes from which the work emerged, as well as the sense of wonder
experienced by the composer. Additionally, traditional classical music forms and the physical
properties of the instruments and ensembles for which Ho writes are all inherent influences
in his diverse and creative output. His music is sensual, sonorous and richly textured, and Ho
gives considerable attention to the audience’s experience of his intricate sound-worlds.
Latest information about the composer may be found at www.vinceho.com.
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Nostalgia (2011)
Nostalgia—in its original form scored for vibraphone and orchestra—constitutes part
of the second movement of The Shaman (a concerto for percussion and orchestra).
The arrangement for solo piano herein was originally conceived as an encore piece for
The Shaman. However, it is now also considered a stand-alone work, and an alternate
arrangement for solo vibraphone is also available (PE154).
Catalysed by Ho’s affinity with various artistic mediums (such as photography, painting and
poetry), Nostalgia is a work which invites the listener to traverse moments of the composer’s
past. It opens with maudlin melodic gestures supported by sparse chordal material which
convey a sense of longing and wistful sentiment instilled in the composer by Barber and
Leestemaker. As the underlying harmonic activity increases rhythmically, the idiosyncrasies
of the vibraphone are exhibited and contribute to a gradual thickening in texture. The
tempo gently escalates which sees the work give way to a series of rhythmically nonspecific
flourishes. These flourishes culminate in a brief senza misura section, before notes
reminiscent of the tender opening motions ‘drift away’ at the works close.
The composer writes:
Nostalgia was initially inspired by three things: a photo taken by Doug Barber of an old
man looking out of a window during sunset, a painting by Luc Leestemaker (Voyager
#3), and an accompanying poem to the painting by the same artist titled Voyager (about
an endearing childhood memory). These three works shared a nostalgic quality that
warranted musical interpretation. However, in order for me to capture this emotion, I had
to search through my own personal history to find the one memory that brought me the
same bittersweet longing; a moment in my life that I have treasured and kept close to
my heart. Once I had found it, I was brought back to that sacred emotional space and the
music soon wrote itself.
Nostalgia has been taken from The Shaman, which was commissioned by the Canadian
National Arts Centre, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Manitoba Arts Council. The
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work is dedicated to Dame Evelyn Glennie, who premiered the work during the opening gala
of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s 20th New Music Festival at the Centennial Concert
Hall, Winnipeg, Canada on January 29, 2011.
Performance notes
• ° is indicated at m. 1, however, the specific degree of pedal used throughout the work is
at the discretion of the performer.
• The indicated durations associated with notes grouped together by feathered beaming are
approximate.
• Grace notes throughout are to be performed before the beat.
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NOSTALGIA Nostalgia [DEDICATED TO TO DAME EVELYN EVELYN GLENNIE GLENNIE]
Vincent Ho

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Nostalgia © 2011 Promethean Editions Ltd Limited
This Edition © 2013 Promethean Editions Ltd Limited PE161 – 28
ISMN: 979-0-67452-185-7
979-67452-XXX-X

28
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