Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) was 18 when he became a student at the Licea Musicale in Bologna, and although he later became known almost exclusively as an operatic composer, his earlier works were mostly instrumental. This Solo per Oboe probably dates from this early period, and may well have been intended as the slow movement of an unfinished oboe concerto. It comes from a collection of Donizetti’s manuscripts in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris (M.5. 4144) and is published with the kind permission of the Director of that Library.