A Quotation For Early February

In playing 'Melodien', however, all concerned must realise that the basic beat covers a diversity of metre; when he plays soloistic melodies or ornaments each instrumentalist must give a more or less independent, 'elastic' interpretation to his line; it must have an individual inner vitality and a dynamic and agogic shape of its own, which runs contrary to the barring and the beat.

In short, each part must 'breathe' individually. Exceptions, played without rubato: a) when two or more instruments are rhythmically coupled in unison, in octaves or in other intervals: b) subordinate passages such as pedal points and ostinato patterns. Entrances of the parts must occur precisely: only afterwards does the slight rubato take effect.

From the notes of Melodien by György Ligeti (1971).