An impromptu (loosely meaning "offhand") is a free-form musical composition with the character of an improvisation, usually for a solo instrument, such as piano.

The first recorded use of the term impromptu in this sense occurred in 1817, in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, an idea of the publisher to describe a piano piece by Voříšek.

It didn't take long before the first generation of Romantic composers took up the idea:

• Jan Václav Voříšek was the first one to compose impromptus, in 1822.
• Franz Schubert published two sets of four Impromptus for piano op. 90 and 142 (1827). After his death 3 more unnamed piano compositions (Klavierstücke) were sometimes named Impromptus.
• Frédéric Chopin composed 4 Impromptus, including the famous Fantaisie-Impromptu.
• Robert Schumann wrote some Impromptus, published as Op. 5.
• Franz Liszt composed an Impromptu in F sharp (sometimes called Nocturne) and a piano piece named Valse-Impromptu.
• Jean Sibelius composed six impromptus for piano op. 5 (1893)

The impromptu genre remained popular all throughout the 19th century.

In the 20th century there are fewer examples of composers naming their compositions "Impromptu", e.g.:

• Gabriel Fauré composing six Impromptus between 1881 and 1913.
• Maurice Journeau composing six Impromptus between 1971 and 1974^[1].
• Donald Martino composing Fantasies and Impromptu in 1980.
• One of Queen's compositions, performed at Wembley Stadium and other performances is named Impromptu.

References

• New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians

Notes

1. ^ Journeau's works