How to play tempo rubato correctly and elegantly?

ico

The best way to learn is to listen to a lot of great opera singing (mostly pre 1960s). Then play that way.

Welcome to the Forums, Ico.

Rubato in what style of music? It will vary, depending. For example, rubato in a tango will be drastically different than rubato in the cadenza of a classical concerto.

Ed

Dear Morodiene and LoPresti,

Thank you so much for the instructions, both very profitable. Although I hadn't mention, I meant playing Chopin's works, especially Nocturnes, so I think listening to Bellini's operas is a great mean of aquiring the sense of freedom rubato is about. Would it be correct to say that tempo rubato gives a sense of improvisation, as if the work played were created the very time it is interpreted?

It is so very difficult to convey FEELINGS in writen words. Instead of a sense of improvisation, I think of rubato as allowing a sense of freedom, where one takes liberties with making the duration of notes more fluid. Where appropriate (Bellini opere), it also affords the performer a chance for melodramatic expression - excessive expressiveness.

Ed

I don't necessarily think this, but it does allow the freedom as Lo Presti says, to be expressive and spontaneous.

Here are some ways rubato can be executed:
-linger on an important note in a phrase longer than the actual note value
-separate the LH and RH so they don't play exactly at the same time
-rolling chords
-speed up the tempo toward an important note in a phrase, or conversely slow down the tempo toward an important note of a phrase, or going away from an important note in a phrase
-with a trill, start slower and gradually speed up and then slow it down toward the end (think parabolic curve)

Here is an example of some great rubato, both by the singer and the pianist. Note especially how the hands don't always land together on the beats:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJGSuJL6lAU