rubato

Rubato (from the Italian rubare, to steal) involves stealing time from some notes and giving it to others. The performer stretches certain notes or phrases and compresses others, creating an ebb and flow in the tempo that adds expressiveness and spontaneity to the music. There are two historical types of rubato. In the older, melodic rubato, the right hand (melody) pushes and pulls against a steady left hand (accompaniment) — like a singer bending the rhythm while the band keeps time. In the later, structural rubato, the entire musical texture speeds up and slows down together. Chopin was the supreme master of rubato, and his music loses much of its character without it.