Impromptu

An impromptu (from the Latin 'in promptu', meaning 'in readiness' or 'at hand') is a short piano piece with an improvised, spontaneous character, though in practice impromptus are carefully composed works that merely evoke the feeling of improvisation. Schubert's four Impromptus D.899 and four Impromptus D.935 defined the genre for piano, followed by Chopin's three impromptus and the famous Fantaisie-Impromptu Op. 66. The impromptu form gives the performer unusual interpretive freedom — because the music is meant to sound spontaneous, subtle rubato, dynamic shading, and personal phrasing choices are not just permitted but expected. Approach an impromptu as if you are composing it in the moment: know the structure so thoroughly that you can forget about the notes and focus entirely on expression, making each performance feel freshly invented.