We are forever in the debt of our forebears in the Baroque period for their realization of the possibilities inherent in the concerto principle, and indeed their development of it. As a vehicle for musical composition it presented a fascinating challenge that found its ultimate expression in the solo concerto.

That the oboe should feature in many Baroque concertos is hardly surprising, not least since its penetrating timbre allows its deployment against numerically superior forces to singular effect, and its beauty of tone imparts to the solo line a distinctive and distinguished quality. Since the earliest form of the modern oboe dates from the middle of the seventeenth century, the peculiar—in the nicest sense of the word—sound of the instrument was appreciated throughout the latter half of the Baroque period.