An Analytical and Educational Survey of Howard Hanson's Dies ...

38interesting choice Hanson makes is the pairing of tenor saxophone and piccolo as thefinal melodic instrumentation of the variation.Variation IV. The fourth variation, allegro feroce, takes place at fortissimo withoccasional sforzandi and forti. Orchestration is divided between sixteenth-note passagesprimarily in the woodwinds, brass melody, and occasional whole-note or half-note lineswith chromaticism. Dynamics and orchestration are consistent throughout the variation.Chords and instrumentation are balanced as well.This consistency, along with tempo,creates the driving energy behind the variation.Variation V. The entire fifth variation is presented in the piano dynamic, fading topianissimo. The first section is orchestrated in the woodwinds, with melody presentedfirst in clarinets, then flutes, and finally oboe. The second section adds trombones,baritone, basses, bassoons, flutes, piccolo, and horns to the orchestration with movingsuspensions in the first bassoon and the baritone. The third section concludes withmelody in the clarinets. Overall, orchestration and dynamics are light in contrast to theprevious variation.