Sometimes mistakenly called an "oboe concerto," much of the music for this orchestral work in two movements dates from many years before—the material had appeared in Handel's operas Amadigi di Gaula (1716) and Ottone, Rè di Germania (1723). Nevertheless, this material is treated to some interesting and innovative orchestration.

The first movement is scored for two oboes, two violin parts which perform in unison throughout, viola, and a continuo part specified for organ, bassoon, and string bass. The theme begins with two sharp marcato notes and then breaks into several joyously arching descents and ascents. Suddenly the key changes into the parallel minor (D minor) for three measures and then just as disturbingly back into quickly ascending scale runs in the major key.

The oboes, tacet up to this point, enter by themselves with a cheery skipping figure which is then cleverly combined with the main subject. The violins then play an extended and complex passage filled with fast arpeggios, rotating pedal point figures, repeated notes. The oboes enter this texture with rhythmically punctuated repeated tones of a longer duration that add a suspended grandeur to the texture.

The texture is suddenly broken by a wonderful passage scored only for the oboes and a solo bassoon. The theme is strongly recapitulated with oboes and violins in unison.

The second movement is an Allegro in D minor which features several pairings of instruments which make for an unusual ensemble sound: violin I and oboe I in unison, violin II and oboe II in unison, viola, cello, and bassoon in unison, and organ and harpsichord (clavecin) in unison (!).

The theme declaims itself in two-measure units, partly noble, partly sighing. The keyboards enter for a long passage by themselves which is built from steady scale runs and rotating pedal points (e.g., G sharp, E, A, E, B, E) that generate the effect of a melody heading off into the distant universe until it plunges in a three-octave descent that evokes a recapitulation of the theme by the full ensemble. This passage is expanded in length and pitch range three more times before the final closing.

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