In the midst of Mozart's miraculous collection of 27 piano concertos, five each for violin and horn, and solo concertos for flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon, are seven works for two or more solo instruments and orchestra, all but one of which were composed in 1778 and 1779. In addition to the 1774 Concertone for two violins and orchestra, K. 187e, there are two works that Mozart abandoned in midstream (because the performances for which they were intended were canceled), a Sinfonia concertante, K. 297b, for four wind instruments and orchestra that probably was in part composed by Mozart (but which has come down to us in a form of questionable authenticity), the Concerto for Flute and Harp, K. 297c, the remarkable Concerto for Two Pianos, K. 316a, and the present work, generally considered as the most significant composition Mozart produced in the year 1779.

Mozart was of course an excellent violinist, but he actually preferred to play the viola when playing chamber music. Mozart likely composed the Sinfonia concertante with the intention that he play the viola part. The work contains two interesting features: First, the viola section of the orchestra is divided into two parts (like the violin section almost always is), lending a richer sonority to the orchestral sound in the middle register. Second, Mozart actually wrote the solo viola part in D major, instructing the soloist to tune his or her instrument up a half-step so that it would sound in E-flat. The composer likely intended this to lend a brighter edge to the viola's tone, allowing it to compete on more equal terms with the solo violin, but most modern violists cringe at the thought of putting such a strain on their fragile instruments and simply play the work in E-flat.

Mozart's Sinfonia concertante is in the standard three movements. A stately opening Allegro maestoso is followed by an Andante that brings to mind an instrumental arrangement of a love duet from one of the composer's comic operas; cadenzas for both of these movements were supplied by the composer. The final Presto concludes the work in high spirits.