A work from 1767. It was published in 1788, along with Hob.XVI: 18 and the spurious Hob.XVI: 17.

The year before this composition, Haydn was promoted to Kapellmeister for the Esterházy princely family, entering a period of ambitious creative output that extended into the early 1770s.

First Movement: Allegretto, D major, 4/4 time. Sonata form.

In contrast to the first theme, which possesses an elegant sound with dotted rhythms, the second theme begins with a striking succession of E notes, eventually leading to a lively atmosphere with arpeggiated accompaniment. While this repetition of the same note provides a sense of foundational stability and forward momentum, it also serves to heighten anxiety when it shifts to the minor key in the development section, making it a particularly characteristic musical idea in this movement.

Second Movement: Andante, A major, 3/4 time. Sonata form.

A distinctive feature is the differentiation in register, with the first theme in the high register and the second theme in the low register. The recapitulation omits the first theme and begins from the transition, resulting in a slow movement that, overall, utilizes a warm timbre in the lower register. An improvisatory cadenza is expected at the chord with a fermata five measures from the end.

Third Movement: Finale. Allegro assai, D major, 2/4 time. Variational Rondo form.

The theme is striking as notes are produced alternately by the left and right hands, played almost like a percussion instrument. Each time it is presented, it is varied, with the right hand embellishing the thematic melody with sixteenth notes. The two intervening episodes are in D minor and A major, respectively. Both, in contrast to the bright theme in the high register, utilize a relatively low register; the former (minor key) creates a fuller sound through unison, while the latter (major key) expresses intensity through octave tremolos.