Impromptu - Classical Music Definition of Impromptu

Definition: The definition of impromptu as it applies to classical music is relatively straight forward. It is a style of music roughly beginning in the Romantic Period written for a solo instrument, typically the piano, that is improvisational in sound. The music was written "off the cuff" so to speak and is loosely performed and interpreted. Famous composers of impromptus are Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, Sibelius, Schumann, as well as Schubert.