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

44The fifth variation imparts a similar challenge to the third variation in staggeredsolo entrances with the addition of sustained harmony at an overall piano dynamic. Thecontrast of light texture to the heavy orchestration of the fourth variation is obvious;however, students' focus should be on intonation and blending.The finale requires focus on the following areas: balance, intonation, dynamics,the treatment of accents, and the treatment ofsforzandi. The teacher must make musicaldecisions on how to treat accents and sforzandi in performance. As in the introduction, agradual crescendo requires a "big picture" approach. The finale is not individuallytechnically challenging per se; it necessitates excellent ensemble playing.Consideration of the performance notes above should provide a clearerunderstanding of where to focus student learning when learning Dies Natalis for Band.