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Chopin Rubato – Lecture Recital Series by Tiger Han
- Tiger Han
- Mar 9
- 2 min read
Rubato is one of the most distinctive expressive elements in the music of Frédéric Chopin, yet it is often misunderstood. Rather than simply slowing down or speeding up, Chopin’s rubato reflects a balance between freedom and structure.
Some of Chopin’s contemporaries struggled with this style. Composers such as Hector Berlioz and Giacomo Meyerbeer reportedly thought Chopin “could not play in time.” But Chopin’s friend Franz Liszt described it more poetically:
“A wind plays in the leaves. Life unfolds beneath them, but the tree remains the same.”
The image suggests that the structure remains steady while the musical surface moves freely. Often the left hand keeps the pulse while the melody above it breathes with expressive flexibility.
When practicing Chopin at home and later performing in front of an audience, I find that rubato is never exactly the same twice. You start to feel the musical flow almost like improvisation. Phrases stretch or settle slightly differently each time. The more I play these works, the more freedom I feel shaping those phrases, while still keeping the underlying pulse stable.
The Mazurka is one of the best places to hear this flexibility. Pieces such as Mazurka in B minor, Op. 33 No. 4 allow the melody to move naturally and expressively while the dance rhythm remains grounded.
A similar contrast appears in the Polonaise in F-sharp minor, Op. 44, which includes a central mazurka section. In performance, this passage invites a more reflective rubato before the powerful polonaise rhythm returns.
For Chopin, rubato is not about losing the pulse. It is more like musical breathing and flexible in detail, but always supported by a stable structure.
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