Of the 20 or so concertos for solo oboe attributed to Vivaldi, about 14 involve no question of authorship. This A minor effort is one of those works, and while it has not received a great deal of exposure, it is a worthwhile piece. Cast in three movements, like his other oboe concertos, it has a brief duration, lasting only about eight or nine minutes. The Allegro first movement opens with a lively, rhythmic ritornello brimming with bright colors and an energetic sense. Yet here and later, in a passage with strings gliding downward and turning soft and delicate, there is a melancholy sense as well. The oboe then delivers the playful, busy main theme in virtuosic writing that offers a few challenges to the soloist. There follow many deftly imagined exchanges between orchestra and soloist, and the music yields some interesting development. The brief second-movement Largo is elegant and songful, thoroughly dominated by the oboe and its lovely melody. The Allegro finale is joyous, its orchestral opening exhibiting interesting contrapuntal writing and the oboe plays the effervescent music with a mixture of virtuosity and gracefulness.

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