Composed in 1827, these four impromptus form part of a set of eight, with the second set of four published in 1839 after Schubert’s death. They form part of the emerging Romantic style of writing shorter pieces rather than sonatas and longer works which will lead to works such as Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words. The title comes from Schubert’s publisher, Tobias Haslinger, after similar titled works by other composers.
The first is dramatic and march-like in C minor, and is the longest in the set. The second is in E flat major in ternary form with a fast right hand triplet movement.
The third, in G flat major (Schubert’s only work in this key), is the most famous and in part feels like his 1923 Lied Du bist die Ruh.
The fourth, in A flat major, starts with a descending triad/arpeggio feature and modulates through various keys (including C flat major and B minor) before ending in A flat major.
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