The thing I mean with Huebler, and also the notation of the solo part in Ferneyhough's Terrain is that you have quite mathematically precise durations, but because the different 'layers' are interlocked, each note has indeed a unique duration vis a vis notes in its immediate vicinity.

Rubato syntax would have to be studied more closely in the individual genres -- has anyone actually done this? If so, and if there have been useful results, does that mean that rubato can actually be taught, at least theoretically? I think such a (truly interdisciplinary) study would yield some surprising results regarding the inter-genre similarities and intra-genre differences... just a casual think about it boggles my mind. I just yesterday listened to the Alfred Cortot Trio and then the Chung trio playing 'Archduke.' Each group made very different decisions about where rubato was appopriate (not to mention dynamic shading or even stabbing), and it was more a thing of the respective era. So much for intra-genre practices.

Both in Korean court music (as little as I know of it) and in European Baroque music there are certain scale degrees on which rubato is never permitted, and certain metric positions on which it is rare. Not that I'd venture to specify which ones or which ones. That requires another think. Unfortunately I just opened a beer, so it will have to wait until tomorrow.

I hope the above is not drivel.

I like Pauset's work sometimes. It isn't a simple pastiche by any means. The fact that he strives for a kind of elegance, meaning he tends to avoid a certain rawness of expression, is a little off-putting to me, but I suspect there is much to be gained from looking at his music closely. The piece that struck me and inspires this comment was his (Sept? Neuf? Huit?) Canons played by Mr Nic Hodges in Darmstadt in 2002. Made me want to listen again, though not imitate...

He got de bug, Aaron. 

Oh yes, Ollie.

It starts out as music, yes. Then the other stuff sets in. In my day it was the waffle. Now you youngsters with all yer bells and whistles and yer big long photograph threads about nothing, you don't remember what it was like at tOP in the good old days with vintage waffle, none of your photos, goodness me no, just good old text and proud of it and Syd yanking everyone's chain and the bloody 3-minute rule and the odd troll attack remember jackielute no I don't suppose anyone does any more but nothing we couldn't stick out when we just remembered the waffle and clubbed together all gone now all swept away in the reorganisation change for the sake of it I call it no respect for the old ways can't leave a good thing alone always fiddling...

<dragged off muttering>

Do you mean me, Oz?


(I'll get my zimmer....)

After scouring the internet in search of information about the Dutch historical musicologist who gave a fascinating lecture about rubato decision-making in 2004 at the Val Tidone festival, I couldn't find a thing - not even his name, which I have completely forgotten.  Does my super-vague description ring any bells with anybody?

By the way, there is also a section in Finnissy's Fast Dances, Slow Dances where he tries to notate gradual accelerandos and ritardandos using very complex tuplet patterns with notes of varying durations within them, with a clear indication that this is to be interpreted as an accelerando/ritardando. I don't think he ever used that notational practice in that sort of way in any other piece. That might be the closest to what Richard is suggesting would be useful.