Impromptu

"Impromptu" originates from Latin, meaning "unprepared." The term is said to have been first used in 1822, when two composers coincidentally employed it simultaneously for their own works. As a musical genre, the impromptu has little relation to improvisation as a performance technique. It merely signifies a piece of music that reflects an improvisatory atmosphere, and it is a musical genre from the 19th century onwards. (While the idea of improvisatory music itself is by no means unique to the 19th century, it was previously known by various names such as toccata and capriccio.)

In the first half of the 19th century, the tradition of the impromptu largely followed two main currents:

• One involved continuous variations on popular opera arias or folk melodies, exemplified by Czerny, Kalkbrenner, and also some fine works by Liszt.
• The other comprised lyrical musical content without a specific form, represented by Voříšek and Marschner, who are said to have first used the term, as well as Schubert's impromptus. However, even if the form is not fixed, many exhibit an A-B-A arch structure.

Chopin inherited the tradition linked to Schubert, leaving behind the Fantaisie-Impromptu and three Impromptus during his middle creative period. All of them have a clear arch form, with the middle section designated "sostenuto."

This work is the first Impromptu written by Chopin, dedicated to Princess d'Este in 1835, and fair-copied by the composer himself into her music album. However, Chopin did not intend for it to be published at that time. The first edition was published posthumously by his friend Fontana in Germany in 1855 and in France the following year. However, this appears to be based on a source different from the Princess d'Este's music album. According to Fontana, Chopin composed the Impromptu in 1834. If so, the first edition score would have documentary value as an earlier draft than the autograph fair copy. The significant differences between these versions are that the middle section was changed from "Largo/Moderato cantabile ♩=88" to "più lento/sostenuto," and all metronome markings were removed. In the first edition, the opening Allegro agitato also had a marking of "half note = 84." If the first edition truly is based on another lost autograph manuscript, then it can be said that Chopin's fundamental conception of the impromptu changed or became established within the short period from 1834 to 1835. The first edition also shares many points of agreement with a copy by Chopin's friend Franchomme, making the existence of another autograph manuscript highly probable. Furthermore, the title Fantaisie-Impromptu is also attributed to Fontana's first edition; Chopin's autograph manuscript simply bears the title Impromptu.

The "improvisatory" technique employed in this work is largely similar to that found in the First and Third Impromptus, but it is not particularly effective here. Additionally, while the left hand is divided into three, the right hand is divided into two, creating two parallel streams that never intersect. However, even this does not quite manage to shake off the insistent two-beat pulse. Ultimately, the charm of this piece lies in the beauty of its melody. Despite the persistent repetition of such a sentimental melody—the fact that the piece, though entirely in a minor key, hardly conveys any sense of seriousness is thanks to this transparent sentimentality—it can truly be said to be the work of a genius in melodic beauty.