[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP] QP Music skeleton score: see Insert. Read questions below. The performer varies the tempo freely, ling...
Question 1 Report
[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP]
QP Music skeleton score: see Insert. Read questions below.
The performer varies the tempo freely, lingering on expressive phrases before moving forward.
Give the musical term for this flexible approach to tempo. [1]
Answer Details
The correct answer is rubato. [1]
Rubato (from the Italian tempo rubato, meaning 'stolen time') is the practice of flexibly varying the tempo within a musical phrase for expressive purposes. The performer lingers on certain notes or phrases to draw out their emotional weight, then moves forward through less important passages to compensate, so that the overall pulse of the music is maintained even as individual moments are stretched or compressed.
Rubato became a defining feature of Romantic performance practice, particularly in piano music. Chopin was famous for his use of rubato - accounts describe his right hand (carrying the melody) moving freely in time while his left hand (providing the accompaniment) kept a steady pulse underneath. This creates the effect of the melody floating above the beat.
Rubato requires musical judgement: too much makes the performance sound shapeless, while too little makes it sound rigid and mechanical. The performer must understand which notes carry the most expressive weight and deserve extra time.
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