Ever since hearing this awesome symphony last Friday night at the Kansas City Symphony concert, I’ve been listening to this movement on an almost endless loop. I don’t know that I can think of a better 5 minutes of music off the top of my head – this has more pathos and raw emotion than a Paul Thomas Anderson movie, and in 1/25th the time! Plus, the oboe finally gets a chance to play a decent melody, something they get to do in virtually no other work with roughly 500,000 exceptions. This performance is by Leonard Slatkin and his St. Louis Symphony at the height of their musical powers, and this combination is ground zero for Barber done right. Enjoy.
Everything But The Music 
Much thanks for the recommendation. I, too, am a great lover of oboe “solos”. I love the quasi middle eastern sound of the melody. Anyway, beautiful piece.