Despite the maturity that Haydn shows in the works of this period, he remained faithful to any example that he valued like that of C.P.E. Bach, whose influence shows itself in the closing minuet of this two-movement work.

Haydn was a composer who enlightens and convinces his listeners rather than storming and taking them prisoner but the ideas in this first movement, irresistably calling for orchestration with heavy emphasis on trumpets, are brawny and the expression is bold. It ends in a two chord interruption that produces a recitative and aria. A breath of a pause then introduces the minuet. This is, at first, a simpler world but the variations grow in complexity. There are pizzicato effects in the bass and hints of counterpoint in the variations. A shower of trills heralds the return of the original theme and the work closes with an almost mocking statement in four notes.

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