There is definite oriental tinge to this piece, as in the opera Padmavati, both of which were written following an extended visit to the China and India in 1909-10. There is also a noticeable dearth of stereotypical "harp" effects such as glissandi and arpeggios; instead, there is melody and, in places, the careful use of silence. Throughout, there is a contemplative feel that places the Impromptu firmly in the category of "serious" music rather than that of virtuoso showpiece.

The Impromptu was dedicated to Lily Laskine, the French virtuoso who did much to reestablish the harp as a solo instrument. It has won a strong place in the repertoire of modern harpists. Indeed, while perusing the Harp Listserv, I found an interesting article by harpist Henry Spiller. Mr. Spiller did some research into the "Top Twenty" harp solos, based on how often they were played and recorded. Roussel's Impromptu makes the list.

Roussel's interest in Hindu aesthetics was not permanently retained in his creative outlook, but its clear expositions left their mark on all his later music. This indirect response is present in the sole work Roussel wrote in 1919 for the plectral harp. [Arthur Cohn]

The Impromptu creates an appropriate impression of spontaneity; yet it is solidly constructed, being in fact a sonata-form movement without development. [Basil Deane]

He didn't return to chamber music until 1919 with a short but significant Impromptu for harp, which succeeds victoriously in avoiding the stumbling blocks and the many banalities of the genre. In sound it is insidiously charming and oriental, recalling a fleet of memories of the voyage to the Indies that had so strongly marked the composer. [Harry Halbreich]