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Strauss' battle scene continues with a new rhythmic figure: the half note duple figure.
Note how Strauss often has a crescendo and a slur on the figure represented in the first measure (dotted half note to eighth note, in measure 1). Do NOT clip the eighth note short or treat it as if it were staccato. Have your air go through the first two notes to the strong accent on the first half note. My breath marks are indicated; I find it much preferable to breath on the bar lines between the duple figures. That way, I can always have a strong beat and not set up a false accent in the figure. It's almost as if Strauss is doing a complete change of meter from 3 to 2 in the duple bars. Breathing on the bar line (see Excerpt 3 for more on this) will allow you to preserve the strong feeling of 2.
The accented eighth notes two measures after 64 are the first of several times this figure comes on this page. Don't drag, and make them well accented and driving toward the long note at the end of the figure. Don't even think about breaking the slurs in this excerpt (such as one measure before 63, three after 64, and eight after 64. Sneak in a breath when you can, but the slur is essential. Better to take a lot of short breaths than get caught short and dying on the vine.
The muted passage before rehearsal number 66 is one of the loudest things you'll ever play with a mute - it needs to cut through the whole orchestra (you now represent one of the hero's critics and there's nothing like a loud, muted bass trombone to make a nasty sound when a composer wants it). While I usually use a Denis Wick straight mute, for this passage I pull out a Tom Crown mute which can deliver a very strong fortissimo effect.
The last part of this excerpt, before rehearsal number 69 , is a massive crescendo to the final note (the low F at 69). Mark the four final eighth notes well and remember not to drag!
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