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During the years 1769 and 1770, Johann Baptist Vanhal (1739-1813) a most independent artist, undertook travels from his home base in Vienna to the Italian peninsula, part of which was administered by the Emperor in Vienna. Could it be possible that Vanhal also traveled north to the German principalities of the Holy Roman Empire, and that this oboe concerto together with another in C Major copied at Schloss Wallerstein around 1770, was composed for an oboist in residence there? We know that Josef Fiala, a most remarkable player of the instrument, was not added to the staff until 1774, the year after Prince Kraft Ernst took over the duties of governing the little principality from his mother. So, although he might have played Vanhal's concertos, Fiala was not yet working for the Öttingen-Wallersteins when they were copied there.

Within the score, the two oboes, two horns, and viola are strictly ripieno voices, primarily confined to the ritornelli, and the viola tends to duplicate the basso either at pitch or at the octave. In the parts from which I worked, the copyist was often inaccurate, particularly in regards to articulation. Also, hatch marks within the second movement cover measures 16-17, 29-32, and 63-68. Obviously the idea was to shorten the time the performer of the solo part had to sustain this difficult line. In the case of measures 63-68, the entire second theme has been removed! All of the measures under hatch marks are restored in my score and parts.

All three movements are cast in Ritornello form with an overlay of sonata form, so common at the time. The fact that this concerto does not end with a rondo, places it well within the earlier days of the Classic Era. The bulk of the episodes are cast for the soloist accompanied only by first and second violins and continuo, a technique common at the time, especially important so that the soft voice of the oboe is not pushed into the background.