Impromptu
Character piece for piano that seems improvised.
What it means
An impromptu, French for “on the spur of the moment,” is a character piece for piano meant to give the impression of a spontaneous, improvised inspiration, though it is in fact carefully worked out. It usually has a clearly recognisable form with one or a few recurring themes.
Musical use
The genre arose in the early 19th century and is closely linked with Romantic piano music. Franz Schubert wrote two collections of four impromptus each, D 899 and D 935, which count among the best-known examples. Frédéric Chopin also composed several impromptus, among them the famous Fantaisie-Impromptu op. 66. The impromptu stands alongside the nocturne, ballade, and character piece as one of the free, Romantic short forms for piano.
The impromptu should be distinguished from the fantasia, which is formally even freer and recalls actual improvisation more closely, and from the étude, which pursues a particular technical task. It differs from the nocturne through its often livelier, less night-calm character.
Performance practice
Play an impromptu with a feeling of spontaneity without neglecting the underlying clear form. Bring out the recurring themes clearly so that the structure remains audible despite the improvisatory character.