concert artist VS recording artist

[jhon]

Which do you think is more difficult? I believe both is equally hard. 

As a recording artist, although there are no audiences and you'll likely won't get nervous, you will also feel such 'cause it's as if you're creating your own "trademark" of a certain piece for that specific recording and people will judge you based on that specific recording and such review will remain for years  - unless your record again.  Also, being note-perfect is a must!  Of course, we do not include here editing and re-take issues. 

On the other hand, being a concert artist - simply performing live - arouses tension from having a crowd.  But it's not really about being note-perfect.  I mean there are some factors - some audiences are just noisy (like coughing) or the acoustics of the hall is bad.  But the hard thing in playing live is how to project yourself and your physical actions and bodily gestures while in the piano.       

[thalberg]

I've done recordings and concerts, and the recordings are way harder for me simply because they are all about perfection.  It makes me stiff and tense.  And the preparation level for them is insanely demanding.  Plus, I'm always aware that it's costing money by the minute to be in the recording studio or hall. 

In contrast, being in front of an audience enables me to just loosen up and say something artistically worthwhile.  The audience wants me to do well (normally), they're enjoying the music, and they give me energy.  Audiences forgive mistakes, microphones don't.

[Barbosa-piano]

 It is true, that in recording, many people have what Charles Rosen calls "microphone fright". Not missing a note is incredibly hard, when you know you have to be very accurate and "perfect", for a machine. And of course, you have your entire audience listening to your work, which they expect to be in the best shape. But there is a difference, a concert or recital will be marked on peoples minds, and notes by critics (unless it is filmed or recorded, for example, Horowitz recordings are great, but I once heard a cd recording of one of his concerts, and there were many wrong notes). The recordings will be experienced again, over and over. If there is one, or two wrong notes, the recording can be very irritating. For example, when listening to some recordings by Rachmaninoff, I feel there is something odd, when he plays many wrong notes. I believe that it is crushing for the recording artist to face it often, it has always been a great pressure, especially in the beginning of sound recording age, when erasing a recording and making another one was not as simple, but that is a different occasion, because the recordings were used more as documents. Is there such thing as a filming artist? Hmm... This might be strange, striving for not only a very accurate performance for sound of the recording, but also making all the gestures and behaving that would be expected by an audience... I would say that this has the elements of both recording and concert events, being a little more difficult than one may think... But I think it depends on the artist, if one feels confortable with going to the studio and making some recordings, or if the person is rather confortable with the audience. 

Mario Barbosa 

[jeremyjchilds]

  Audiences forgive mistakes, microphones don't.

I'm with thalberg...microphones don't lie...

[stevie]

nothing beats a televised performance to millions

think about it, its all being recorded and millions of people are observing your every mistake...i think thatd be quite terrifying

[jhon]

a televised playing is just same as a live concert.  a mere recording is still harder cause its more critical when listeners merely hear, not watch.

and btw, yeah...mic fright is more instense than stage fright

[jeremyjchilds]

a televised playing is just same as a live concert. 

I would think that it is worse than a live concert.

If you were to really screw up, then it is on the record for eternity...not just in a few people's minds

[kelly_kelly]

Hmmm... it's a close call, but I think that being a live concert would be harder, at least. I tend to be TERRIFIED when performing piano before an audience, whereas, although scared when performing for a microphone, I tend to prefer the latter. Of course, this is a personal issue. I would imagine that those who suffer from intense fear of the microphone would probably do more live performing, and vice versa.