VW reveals himself in this movement a master orchestrator. In general, he contrasts a transparent, even wispy texture with great forward drive, at rather low volume. The low volume itself challenges players. One doesn't often hear a true pianissimo in live concert, although standards have certainly risen in my lifetime. That the Louisiana Philharmonic a good, but not first-rank orchestra, often does speaks volumes.
Strings play largely at the unison or octave, and winds are usually reduced to solos or duets.
How anyone could think of this as clunky orchestration is beyond me, but one reviewer certainly did. This movement more than lives up to its billing. The sections are seldom equal in length or weight. A theme given to the cor anglais b. Of course, it takes a master contrapuntalist to make this bit sound as casual as it does.