Definition

Noun: A temporary, expressive deviation from a strict tempo in musical performance. It involves the performer slightly speeding up or slowing down the rhythm for emotional effect, while maintaining the overall pulse of the piece. The time "borrowed" (rubato means "robbed" in Italian) by slowing down is typically "paid back" by speeding up later.

Usage

Rubato is a technique used by performers, not typically indicated in the musical score with precise notation. It is an interpretive tool that adds expressiveness and feeling, most commonly associated with Romantic-era music (e.g., Chopin, Liszt). The term is often used in the context of discussing musical phrasing and interpretation.

Examples

• The pianist's sensitive use of rubato in the nocturne made the melody sing beautifully.
• A good conductor allows for some rubato in the string section during the lyrical passage.
• The music critic praised the violinist's tasteful rubato, which never disrupted the underlying rhythm.

Advanced Usage

• Tempo rubato: This is the full Italian phrase, literally meaning "stolen time." It is often used interchangeably with "rubato."
  • Her performance was a masterclass in tempo rubato, full of passion and nuance.

Variants and Related Words

• Rubato is primarily used as a noun. It can sometimes function as an adverb or adjective in musical contexts (e.g., "play this phrase rubato"), but the noun form is standard.

Synonyms

• Tempo flexibility
• Expressive timing
• Agogic accent (a related concept emphasizing a note by lengthening it)

Antonyms

• Strict tempo
• Metronomic (playing with the rigid regularity of a metronome)
• In time

Related Phrases/Concepts

• A tempo: An instruction to return to the original speed after a deviation like rubato.
• Accelerando (accel.): Gradually getting faster.
• Ritardando (rit.): Gradually getting slower.
• Rubato is distinct from simple speeding up (accelerando) or slowing down (ritardando) because it involves a more flexible give-and-take within the musical phrase.

Noun

1. a flexible tempo; not strictly on the beat