Nostalgia

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). This arrangement for solo piano was originally conceived as an encore piece for The Shaman. However, it is now also considered a stand-alone work, with an alternate arrangement for solo vibraphone (PE154) also available.

Catalysed by Ho’s affinity with various artistic mediums (namely 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 conveys a sense of longing and wistful sentiment instilled in the composer by Barber and Leestemaker. As the underlying harmonic material becomes more rhythmically active, 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 non-specific flourishes. These flourishes culminate in a brief senza misura section, before notes reminiscent of the tender opening motions ‘drift away’ at the work’s close.