Fritz Neuböck

5 Pillars

A Divertimento for Wind Orchestra

My "Five Pillars, A Divertimento for Wind Orchestra" is based on five keywords chosen by members of the Marktmusikkapelle Timelkam (Austria) that they associate with their music association.
Music - Harmony - Goals - Generations - Fun & Joy
The five movements aim to musically interpret and express these fundamental ideas. To clarify the five pillars that serve as the foundation for a functioning orchestra, Fritz Neuböck has supplemented the musicians’ thoughts with quotes from great figures.

I - ETA Fanfare
(Music) Quote: E.T.A. Hoffmann
"Where language ends, music begins."
The fanfare should not be composed too heavily, but rather be understood as a homage to Copland’s fantastic "Fanfare for the Common Man."

II - Isaac
(Harmony) Quote: Isaak Stern
"Those who make music learn not to hate. Those who make music learn to hear, to listen, and to think."
Romantic, heartfelt melodies in which the solo brass ensemble takes center stage. This music stands for peace, tolerance, and harmony; it should sound peaceful and noble, entirely in keeping with Isaak Stern’s quote.

III - Ludwig
(Goals) Quote: Ludwig van Beethoven (quotes from the 7th Symphony)
"Music can change the world."
Beethoven’s 7th Symphony is one of those symphonies in which he dealt intensively with Napoleon, who at that time was at war with half of Europe. Looking at our political situation today, the levers of world power often lie in the hands of narcissistic self-promoters who bear significant responsibility for the current tensions. This movement—partly playful and delicate, partly powerful and impulsive—stands against war and for peace with all the expressive power of the excerpts from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. The quotations are taken from the Funeral March, the Scherzo, and the Finale, and are complemented by a short motif from Bernstein’s "West Side Story."

IV – Nelly
(Generations) Quote: Nelly Furtado
"Music is like an old friend who asks no questions."
The fourth movement begins (rubato) with very calm chord progressions played by the four flutes, repeatedly interrupted by short cadenzas (English horn, bassoon, clarinet, horn), which should be given plenty of space. Starting with "lightly," a dance-like melody begins, initially in the classical woodwind quintet, with additional registers gradually joining in. After an ethereal middle section in which the muted trumpets take over the opening chords of the flutes, the melody finally resounds in tutti. Step by step, the entire orchestra joins in—as naturally as in the quotation: no one asks questions; everyone joins in and dances together until a fermata suddenly (subito) ends the dance. At the end, the contemplative opening chords of the flutes and clarinets sound once more. Do we really go through life together? That would be the plan—and so the piece transitions attacca into the final movement.

V – Frank
(Fun & Joy) Quote: Frank Zappa
"Talking about music is like dancing about architecture."
Overflowing joie de vivre and sparkling enthusiasm form the foundation of this mambo finale—so don’t talk, just dance!