Classical Music | Piano Music

Recorded on 02/18/2009, uploaded on 05/07/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Suggesting the air of an extemporized performance, the Impromptu as a musical form came about during the earliest days of the Romantic movement. The first known use of the word, in this sense, was in 1817 and was used by a publisher to describe a piano piece by Czech composer Jan Václav Voříšek. It is possible that the Impromptus of Voříšek were influential on Franz Schubert's own contributions to the genre much in the same way Chopin drew inspiration from the Nocturnes of John Field.

Schubert's Impromptus, published in two sets of four, were written in 1827. The first set was published during his lifetime while the second was published shortly after his death in November 1828. They are considered companion pieces to the Six Moments Musicaux, also composed around the same time.

The first Impromptu, in C minor, and the longest of the op. 90 set, begins with widely spaced octaves on the dominant G. A march-like melody forms the first theme of the piece, heard first with the melody alone and then again with a chordal accompaniment. Following the first theme is a more lyrical melody in the key of A-flat major. Though forming an effective contrast to the martial character of the first theme, the second is undeniably tied to it with the repeated note figure it takes from the first. Transitioning back to the key of C minor, the first theme returns and is further developed. The second theme returns in the dominant key of G major and with its original triplet accompaniment quickened to sixteenth notes. A rather long coda, based on the first theme, gradually leads to the key of C major and a peaceful close. Despite its name, the first Impromptu has more the studied air of a diminutive sonata form than an improvisation.      Joseph DuBose

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.