# A question on rubato



## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

Sorry if this is the wrong area of the forum but since rubato applies to all musicians i thought that it would be better here than in 'vocal music' or other section. 

How much rubato is too much rubato? 
Can a written half note become like an eighth note or even a sixteenth note, so long as the beat stays steady?

Can you play Mozart with Rubato? I've never encountered any performances of Mozart with pronounced Rubato, or any marked rubato in his music, until very recently a very early obscure concert aria his, i noticed a youtube where the performer sings at least one passage with a slight rubato. Later, practicing the same piece myself, I prefer the same passage with NO rubato, but a couple of measures prior I can't seem to play the rthym as written, it just sounds wrong, and I tend to play a half note as a dotted eighth or something like that. Is that alright? 

Any other tips on rubato in general that might help (someone who has practically no experience in playing rubato).

Do you need to be able to keep a very steady beat in order to do rubato effectively? because that has always been one of my weak points. 

Thanks....


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## Petwhac (Jun 9, 2010)

Rubato is a matter of context and taste. 
It is important to be able to keep a very steady beat if a steady beat is required by the music. If it is a weak point of yours then extra practice with a metronome may be helpful. Once you are master of time keeping then you are free to apply as much or as little rubato as you think fit. I don't think it is possible to justify playing with a lot of rubato on the grounds that one cannot play without it.
That is my opinion anyway.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Rubato is characteristically from the Romantic era. Think of Strauss Waltzes and Chopin Mazurkas in particular. Romantic era Dance music very often has rubato. Rubato would be inappropriate for Mozart because that was not a part of the performance style of the time. Every era had its characteristics, but do avoid it as much as possible in Baroque and Classical era music. The only time you might do something _like _that is a Cadenza in a concerto, or a cadence in Baroque sonatas, where the tempo can slow down and speed up, or sound like there's a fermata.


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## obwan (Oct 24, 2011)

any other opinions? (oh thanks for the input I might add)


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