Improvised

Improvised music features performers composing music at the same moment that they are playing it. It often follows some preconceived structure but is not previously written down. Improvisation has been an important part of the music of Western civilization since the times of Ancient Greece. It was a highly valued skill in the baroque and classical eras but fell out of importance in the romantic era. In the twentieth century improvisation became more significant than ever with the birth and development of jazz. Representative Artists: Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett