The concerto is cast in four short movements that follow a slow–fast–slow–fast structure reminiscent of the 17th-century Italian sonata da chiesa.
[2] Although tonally adventurous,[10] the work is notable for its melodic simplicity and lack of gratuitous virtuosity, which sets it apart from the Romantic tradition of showy concertos.
[2] The piece starts with a soft, melancholy melody but gets more and more agitated and dissonant as the strings enter, although some brighter passages still appear occasionally.
After the dark slow movement the work ends with an Allegro risoluto and a propulsive, thrilling finale.
[10][11] As critic Antoine Goléa remarked: "This is one of Jolivet's works where violence gives way to tenderness, force and passion yield to charm... sometimes lyrical, sometimes piquant and capricious.