This concerto, one of about 20 Vivaldi wrote for a small group of instruments without string orchestra, clearly looks forward to the Classical era, although its exact date of composition is unknown. In the ritornello structures of the first and third movements, the role of the orchestral tutti is filled by the four solo instruments playing in unison or octaves. The central slow movement is a quartet for the soloists, with the continuo silent; with a few changes it could have gone almost unnoticed as a movement of an early Classical divertimento or Feldparthie. Vivaldi is more apt throughout to explore varied combinations possible within the solo group than to exploit the contrast between solo and tutti passages. The brief ritornellos rarely even get a chance to finish before the individual instruments go their separate ways. There is great artistry in the way the ritornello is cut off and in the harmonic twists and turns the music takes after this happens. The flute (whose part is also performable on a recorder) dominates the little ensemble of solo instruments, getting the opportunity, especially in the finale, to show off some virtuoso playing. Yet the oboe and bassoon, quite novel in concertos in Vivaldi's time, are not slighted; the bassoon does not simply double the continuo bass line but enriches the texture with delightful runs of its own. The concerto is thematically related to another, RV 571, for violin, two oboes, two horns, and bassoon. Despite the roller coaster ride of variety it contains, it's all over in less than ten minutes.

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