Impromptu

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 spouse "impromptu" in this sense occurred in 1817, in the " _de. 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 [ [http://www.journeau.com/en/oeuvres.html Journeau's works] ] .
* Donald Martino composing "Fantasies and Impromptu" in 1980.
* One of Queen's compositions, performed at Wembley Stadium in 1986 is named "Impromptu".

References

* "New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians"

Notes