The virtuosity of the solo sections increases markedly, especially in the later works, and concurrently the texture becomes more homophonic.
Until about 1770, the preferred stringed keyboard instrument was usually the harpsichord, but it was gradually supplanted by the piano.
The concertos of this period show a broad transition from Baroque to Classical style, though many are more conservative than contemporaneous symphonies.
Most are in three movements, though a significant minority adopt lighter two-movement patterns such as Allegro-Minuet and Allegro-Rondo.
They call for an orchestra that is much larger than a typical concerto of the time, especially in the expanded role assigned to the winds.
The orchestra is rendered fully capable of sustaining a dramatic confrontation with the virtuosity and individuality of the soloist.
The range of styles and expression is greater than that of most other concertos of the period, from the comic-opera elements of K.467 to the Italianate lyricism of K.488, the tragic character of K.466 and 491 to the Beethovenian heroism of K.503.
The movement structure in most of these works is in the by-now conventional ritornello-sonata type perfected by Mozart and Beethoven.
The first concerto in particular shows the influence of such continuous composite forms as those of Weber's Konzertstuck and Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy.
The neoclassical movement of the period following World War I produced a long series of works that returned to pre-Romantic conceptions of the concerto.
His Violin Concerto (1931), for example, comprises a Toccata, two Arias, and a Capriccio, and the soloist is treated more as a member of the ensemble than as a virtuoso protagonist.
The solo concertos of Paul Hindemith (8 for various instruments, 1939–62) are more traditional than Stravinsky's in their treatment of the relationship between soloist and orchestra.
A tendency related to the neoclassical rejection of Romantic and traditional features is the use of jazz elements in many 20th-century concertos.
Similarly, in 1966 the accordion virtuoso John Serry completed his Concerto in C Major for Bassetti Accordion, which showcases the wide range of modern orchestral tonal qualities inherent within the solo Free bass system designed by the Italian instrument manufacturer Julio Giulietti.