4 Things to Know About Schubert’s Op. 90 Impromptus

Schubert composed the four impromptus in 1827, his final year. They are cataloged as D. 899 and are among the most beloved short-form piano works ever written.

Each impromptu is a perfectly contained emotional world. The set ranges from the famous opening C minor theme to the lyrical G-flat major second piece.

Schubert essentially defined the impromptu genre with this set. These works remain the gold standard for the form.