Franz Schubert's Impromptus are eight pieces for solo piano composed in 1827. They were published in two sets of four impromptus each, now catalogued as D. 899 and D. 935. They are considered to be among the most important examples of this popular early 19th-century genre. This particular piece, is a serenade-like example of Schubert's outstanding lyrical facility, as well as his penchant for long melodic lines. There is little interruption in the fluttering harp-like broken triad accompaniment, creating a tense contrast with the spacious and languid melody—an anticipation of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words. Without repeats, the melody develops into a shadowy and frequently modulating middle section before returning to its relaxed flow. Though written in G flat major and 4/2 meter, the work was printed by the first publisher, almost 30 years later, in G major and 4/4 meter. It may have been one of the first pieces composed in this unusual key. The original version is now generally preferred.
