Word: rubato
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...luscious effects which may be superimposed thereupon--is the rule rather than the exception. For Baroque works in particular, such balanced performance requires the skillful proportionment of elements which, to the twentieth-century musical mind, often seem to conflict; the freedom of style of improvisatory ornamentation, frequent tempo rubato, and variety of tone color so admired in the period; and the restrictions of the relatively limited (to our ears) dynamic range of the instruments, various nationalistic styles in that era, and the degree of severity (or levity) of a particular musical structure...
...emphasizing both the subtle interrelationships and the marked contrasts inherent in the composer's material. In the second movement, I felt that so many gentle hesitations before sforzandi and cadences, in conjunction with a tempo leaning toward the slow side, tended to restrict the flow. However, these elements of rubato, although not to my taste, were part of a deliberate, introspective interpretation which never lacked coherence. The readings of the minuet and rondo were exemplary...
...CHOPIN Nocturnes followed, nos. 17 and 4. The former included many finely-shaped phrases--the enharmonic transition midway through the piece, for example. I objected only to the occasional blurring of the pulse by too much tempo rubato in sections containing extensively syncopated accompaniments. Nocturne 4 was treated with a delicate sense of balance; happily the contrasting con fuoco middle section was not overplayed...
...marked Mastoso and is built on broad heroic lines, the rhythms must be alert and incisive rather than doggedly determined. There are certain turns of phrase which should be rendered with great finesse, and that, in terms of the Chopin style, that means with a very subtle application of rubato. Many pianists, knowing that Chopin calls for rubato tend to throw it on as if with a trowel, distorting the basic metrical life of the music and making the melodies sound maudlin and oversentimental. I find it's not a bad idea, while playing practically anything of Chopin, to have...
...nineteenth century found Bach's music difficult to perform in the Romantic style-their alternating piano-forte, their rubato, their sharp dynamic contrasts. If Bach's was difficult to adapt to their style, the nineteenth century decided, it was Bach's fault...