Four Quarters

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Upper Austrian Wind Band Music Federation and the accompanying anniversary concert in the “Brucknerhaus” in Linz, Fritz Neuböck wrote the fanfare Four Quarters. The work is scored for a brass ensemble consisting of 4 trumpets, 4 horns, 3 trombones, 2 euphoniums, tuba, 2 percussionists, and an off-stage ensemble consisting of 2 trumpets, horn, and tuba. Later the composer also arranged Four Quarters for (large) concert band.
The work consists of two parts which combine tradition and modernity as they occur in band music. At the center of the composition is a quiet middle section layered on a “sound carpet.” Based on four Upper Austrian folk songs, this section can be staged spatially as desired in the concert hall. Each folk song represents one of the four regions of Upper Austria, the composer's homeland. The “Mühlviertel,” the “Innviertel,” the “Hausruckviertel,” and the “Traunviertel” form a close-knit community in their diversity and independence, making a natural jewel in Upper Austria, one of Austria's most exciting regions both culturally and economically. Before and after this middle section Fritz Neuböck uses a fresh, quasi-rock fanfare dominated by the brass section.