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 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:

★ Schubert published two sets of four ''Impromptus''. After his death 3 more unnamed piano compositions (''Klavierstücke'') were sometimes named ''Impromptus''.

★ 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.
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.:

★ Donald Martino composing ''Fantasies and Impromptu'' in 1980.

★ One of Queen's compositions, performed at Wembley Stadium in 1986 is named ''Impromptu''.

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References

References

★ ''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians''