On The Artistic Features Of Chopin’s Impromptus

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), one of the most representative and innovative composers of the Romantic period, devoted all his life to the composition of piano works. Of all the various genres in which he composed, his four Impromptus are often neglected, moreover, there has been a lack of comprehensive study of them as a ’set’.This study begins with a brief summary of Impromptu, tracing the history and development of this genre. Only by placing Chopin’s set into its historical context, one can notice clearly the newness and revolutionary aspects of his Impromptu. The focus of chapter two is on Chopin’s general music approach, its reflection in the four Impromptus will be revealed in the next chapter, supported by an analysis of each Impromptu based on structure, harmonic and melodic patterns, keys, texture.Despite the fact that Chopin’s Impromptus were modeled after works by former composers, they are so entirely idiomatic for the piano that each of them was transformed into a highly structured composition of expressive range and originality.