In the present duo Hob VI:D1, Joseph Haydn treats the two instruments thoroughly as equals and writes technically demanding music for each. The work is cast in an early classical form, whose three movements (Adagio non molto Allegro Menuetto with three variations) are all in the main key of D major.

The present publication is based on an edition in parts issued by Haydns London publisher William Forster in 1781/82, in which the work was called A favorite DUETT. The sparse performance markings in this source were appositely supplemented by the editor and are signalized by broken lines.