rubato

rubato, (from Italian rubare, “to rob”), in music, subtle rhythmic manipulation and nuance in performance. For greater musical expression, the performer may stretch certain beats, measures, or phrases and compact others. The technique is seldom indicated on a musical score but may be utilized according to the performer’s discretion. Rubato may affect only the melody (as in jazz) or the entire musical texture.

In the application of rubato, the written note values must not be disregarded, and the performer eventually returns to the strict underlying rhythm from which the rubato deviated. A true “tempo rubato” is found in certain types of orally transmitted music, for example, among the peasants of Hungary and Romania, whose practices, in turn, inspired such composers as Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók.