Harpsichord concertos are one of the instrumental genres that flourished during Bach's Leipzig period. Bach was historically the first to use the harpsichord as a solo instrument in concertos; thus, he could well be called the "Father of the Harpsichord Concerto."

There are 13 harpsichord concertos, for 1 to 4 harpsichords. These were performed by the "Collegium Musicum," a musical ensemble centered around students in Leipzig. Furthermore, it is believed that more than half of them are arrangements of concertos originally composed for other instruments, adapted for the harpsichord.

Concerto for Solo Harpsichord No. 1 is an arrangement of a lost violin concerto. The composition is presumed to have originated around 1738. The instrumentation consists of a solo harpsichord, and an ensemble of Violin I, Violin II, Viola, and Basso Continuo. From the first to the third movement, almost all parts move in unison at the beginning, but gradually become independent as the piece progresses. Particularly, the harpsichord, which carries the solo part, is given extremely virtuosic melodies from the middle section onwards.

Mendelssohn performed this work as a piano concerto in 1832. Schumann also left writings praising this work.