Timmers, R., Ashley, R, Desain, P, and Heijink, H. (2000) The influence of musical context on tempo rubato. Journal of New Music Research 131-158.
Abstract
The influence of constraints and expressive possibilities offered by the music on the (onset) timing of a melody is investigated differentiating between rubato extent and timing contour. A melody is put in different, but related, musical contexts and 3 pianists perform these melodies with the accompaniment from sheet music. Analysis of the recorded performances shows that pianists change the timing of the melody in respect to the musical context in which the melody is presented. In the timing pattern aspects of the context are imbedded, which shows that pianists take different parameters of the music into account. The melody proves to be the primary expressive source, while chords and a counter melody are good second ones. Both the rubato extent and the variability of timing patterns appear to increase with increasing complex conditions. They do this however in different ways.
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