Three Scenes of Childhood

Though Ho’s Three Scenes of Childhood is inspired by a day in the life of a young child, a formidable amount of skill is required to articulate the child-like qualities the composer evokes across the work’s three movements. Rapid waves of chromaticism reflect the feverish busyness of play (Playtime), moods changing with the wind, while restless time signatures keep things tumbling forward. Fists and forearms are employed as little tempers flare (The Tantrum), while elsewhere respite is found in the drift of sleep (An Afternoon Nap), notes twinkling rubato-like in the piano’s upper register.