ABSTRACT
While it might be thought that musical improvisation is the specialty of American jazz, it has long been a common – indeed, perhaps basic – feature of music throughout the world. Arab, Indian, Iranian, and African musicians have all long been familiar with it. From the Middle Ages through the Renaissance in European music, it was standard practice to improvise a line in counterpoint over a cantus firmus. In the classical era, keyboardists often competed with each other in improvisational contests – Mozart, for instance, against Clementi, or Beethoven against rivals such as Hummel. Performances extempore are still standards features of organ recitals.
