What defines 'performance' for you ?

[m1469]

In thinking about where music exists, and pondering the possibility that it is strictly a performance-oriented art, I finally found another question  (have I actually asked this before ?) .  What qualifies as a performance for you ?

For example, a theorist or a composer may have an entire performance in one's head.  It still involves human interaction with the music, it still involves a performer of some sort, it still involves an audience ...

music, performer, audience ... these are "the" ingredients to a performance, right ?

Well, what is it to you ? .


Thanks,
m1469

[jakev2.0]

Interesting question.

To me, a performance is any musical happening of a spontaneous nature. Performance is more than merely playing live in front of an audience. A really lackluster and contrived live concert is less a performance than a really spontaneous and fresh studio recording.  For instance, Benno Moiseiwitsch recorded Rachmaninoff's Mendelssohn Scherzo from a Midsummer Night's Dream in just a single take, and it sounds absolutely spontaneous and fresh to my ears. I'm sure everyone can think of their own examples of dreadful live performances. 

[goldentone]

I would say, ideally, that a performance is an experience, a communication from the performer to the audience, divulged from the soul.

[dan101]

I was taught that a performance is the showing of technical proficiency, the intent of the composer and the personality of the performer. I have always found that this mind-set puts me in performance mode.

You've picked an interesting and deep topic of conversation.