As a continuation of his first book on the animals of the Chinese zodiac (Read more from The Chinese Zodiac for Children), Canadian composer Vincent Ho (b. 1975) wrote a book 2 that builds on Book 1 and takes a page from J.S. Bach’s book, too. Written for older children, Ho’s Book 2 creates a Prelude and Fugue for each animal, but now with older animals for the older children. The music is intended for teenage pianists and helps them both learn a standard form written in a modern style and to apply Asian heritage ideas to the repertoire.

The infant animals of Book 1 are now teenagers, and each has their own struggle with their changing lives.

The Rascally Rat is our first movement, and the Prelude introduces this animal, known for saving, collecting, and leading an organised life. This Prelude hides and scurries to a new spot.

Hiroshige: White Mice with Daikoku’s Magic Wallet

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 1. Rascally Rat: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

For the Fugue, on the other hand, it runs from the very first note, checking here and there for the things they want to collect. There’s a jazz element that seems to run through this Fugue (and with many of the following Fugues), which will be completely unexpected for those schooled in Bach.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 1. Rascally Rat: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The stolid and mighty ox is patient and persevering. In a teenager ox, there are elements of rebelliousness in the midst of the patience.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 2. The Mighty Ox: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

In the Ox Fugue, the stolidness is contrasted with the dissonances. Our teenager is trying but occasionally has problems being patient with the hard work and responsibility. It all comes to a crashing end.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 2. The Mighty Ox: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

Light and lithe, the tigers dance. Recklessness is balanced with the tigers’ sense of justice and, in the end, justice prevails.

Yoshitoshi: Masakiyo Captures the Wild Tiger (detail)

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 3. Dance of the Tigers: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The Tiger Fugue winds around and around while the occasional melody slides out of the dancing stripes.

Dancing Tigers

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 3. Dance of the Tigers: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The Rabbit’s Prelude is built around its hopping and inquisitiveness. Our teenager bops around, and occasionally an older rabbit adds in a few words of guidance and advice.

Hiroshige: 2 rabbits, pampas grass and full moon

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 4. Jubilant Rabbit: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The hopping fugue seems to involve all kinds of happy rabbits. The mix of fugal voices gives us many different rabbits of many different ages.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 4. Jubilant Rabbit: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The dragon gathers itself and leaps into the sky. Hidden in a dark cloud above Mount Fuji, the mountain of immortality, the dragon is one with the dark cloud and yet separate. Did we see it or not? Although Hokusai painted a mature dragon in this, his last painting, we can still imagine this as a new dragon, seeking out his own immortality. Hidden in a cloud, soaring above Mount Fuji, there will be unexpected actions in the future!

Hokusai: Dragon Flying over Mount Fuji

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 5. Soaring Dragon: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

In another jazz-influenced fugue, our dragon makes its way around, curving and recurving the melodic line just as the dragon itself curves and curves through the cloud and the sky.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 5. Soaring Dragon: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

Continuing the idea of curving lines from the dragon, its smaller manifestation, the snake, wiggles all over the musical page. Smooth and sliding, rolling and twisting, the snake in motion has a mesmerising quality.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 6. Spirited Snakes: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The Snake Fugue tumbles all over itself again, sliding and slithering, poking out its head and hiding it just as readily. But, with a Fugue, how many snakes are there?

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 1: No. 6. Spirited Snakes: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The horse gallops over the grassland, free at last to run and run. The teenage horse has no responsibilities, just run! Freedom is all around. Responsibility comes later.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 7. The Galloping Horse: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The Horse Fugue, as befits such a stylised genre, is controlled and high-stepping. Our teenager is dressed up and showing off.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 7. The Galloping Horse: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The lamb tries to keep from falling asleep. The repetitive notes lull and, despite all of its intentions to stay awake, the lamb’s eyes flutter closed and the head drops. It sighs and snuggles down for just a minute…or more.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 8. Drowsy Lamb: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

Now the lamb is truly asleep. Each new voice in the fugue is the dream that comes with the little nap. Gambolling in the meadow, sweet grass to eat, friends around everywhere; life in a dream.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 8. Drowsy Lamb: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The monkeys jump around frantically, in a blues manner. They’re manic but with a goal.

Koson: Monkeys Reaching for the Moon (MFA Boston)

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 9. Mimicking Manic Monkeys: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

A blues fugue follows, and our monkeys are less manic but still imitating what they see.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 9. Mimicking Manic Monkeys: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The rooster looks at the hens, frantically pecking away. It picks its way through their actions.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 10. Rollicking Rooster: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The same pecking put into a fugue creates an interesting mental image of activity, but where’s the rooster? He emerges from the background to show you he’s still around and in charge.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 10. Rollicking Rooster: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The dog walks down its street, inspecting all the elements that are his. His tree, his fence, his dog friend. It’s a leisurely stroll, and certain calling cards are left where appropriate.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 11. The Sauntering Dog: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

In the Dog Fugue, life has become more complicated. There are so many smells to sort out, so many messages to be answered, so many things to keep track of in his dog world.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 11. The Sauntering Dog: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The pig sits in the warm sun. Someone comes by to scratch its back, and all is well with the world. Deep sigh.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 12. Tranquil Pig: Prelude (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

The final fugue is less fugue-like than its predecessors. It seems more like sounding bells and birds in flight than a tranquil pig, but perhaps we are really in its dreams.

Vincent Ho: The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 2: Preludes and Fugues – Vol. 2: No. 12. Tranquil Pig: Fugue (Tony Yike Yang, piano)

Utagawa: Twelve Animal Signs of Oriental Zodiac Gathering to Form One Animal

The Preludes and Fugues on the 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals is an interesting construction. They are more than just more of the same old Preludes and Fugues from the Baroque era that we’re used to. They are for piano but also invoke traditional Chinese musical instruments such as the pipa, the ruan, and the guzheng, adding another element to the story. The composer’s use of jazz elements and sounds and ideas from traditional Chinese music makes these Preludes and Fugues much different from what you expect.

What’s your Zodiac Animal? As you may know, these are done by year (rather than by the western zodiac month) and are in a 12-year cycle. Here’s a rough guide – remember that the Zodiac animal changes on Chinese New Year, and not on 1 January!

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