The oboe was Maderna's favourite instrument. For it he composed many works, and most of all the three concertos. Like the first, the second is dedicated to Lothar Faber, who suggested to the composer the use of the musette, a member of the oboe family of popular origin, pitched a fifth higher than the standard oboe.

Like most of Maderna's concertante works, the concerto alternate orchestral sections (often with a certain degree of freedom) and separate "cadenzas", where the soloist (the musette plays in the first part, the oboe in the middle and the oboe d'amore at the end) plays alone or with a extremely soft support from the orchestra. This has an unusual composition that gives a soft, dark sound to the work .

Besides the small group of strings there are no flutes, but with two more oboes and a cor anglais; no bassoons, trumpets and trombones, but four horns, three clarinets and a bass clarinet. To complete, two harps, a celesta, a guitar, an electric bass guitar and a large percussion section.

© Umberto Posarelli, All Music Guide