This tone poem begins in a mood of somber resignation. Trumpets are conspicuous at the start, then lower instruments, particularly the bass clarinet, come to prominence. Solo passages for bassoon and English horn lead to a reprise of the opening trumpet motif, after which some brighter sections emerge. Over encouraging fingered tremolos in the strings an optimistic trumpet steps forward, followed by horns. Eventually a clarinet solo emerges, as if to moderate between the work's resigned and optimistic moods. These two frames of mind, expressed in rich, romantic orchestral colors, alternate with each other for the rest of the work. The opening trumpet motif heralds a coda where woodwinds lead us out in a mood of resignation. The harmonic idiom is that of late romantic tonality with considerable chromatic emphasis.

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