RUBATO- a technique the has its origin in Gregorian chant; it is a natural freedom of rhythm. Just like in spoken language, our tone of voice change, sometimes faster sometimes slower, it basically depends on how naturally talk (accent), articulate and what emotions we want to express. Chopin’s way of teaching rubato was to show the analogy between music and language and model playing on it. He as a performer used a lot of rubato in his playing; when saying rubato we think – Chopin, it is almost his synonym. He wanted to break the “rigid playing characteristic of eighteen-century classicism”. His Mazurkas require using rubato the most; changes of tempo adding soul to this dance, while reflecting on national character of Mazurkas.
Rubato does not destroy the piece when being used, it enhance the character, appreciate note- value .
Chopin’s advice to play rubato: “Imagine a tree with its branches swayed by the wind: the stem represents steady time, the moving leaves inflections. This is what is mean by Tempo and Tempo Rubato.”