As the name suggests, the opening is a slow, dirge- like section beginning with reeds, adding trombone and low brass. An ostinato snare drum helps build the opening to a climax which then returns to the original meditative mood. A sudden shift in mood occurs at the Festiva, where punctuating brass, lyric clarinets, and effective polychords lead in a rhythmically straightforward way toward a highly fulfilling conclusion.
