Sacrificing musicality to show off

[opus10no2]

Is it justifiable? Have you done it?

Which pianists do you think have?

Where does legitimate interpretation end and pure showoff begin?

[pianowolfi]

Is it justifiable?

no

Have you done it?

Yes

Which pianists do you think have?

Lang Lang

Where does legitimate interpretation end and pure showoff begin?

In your conscience...

[anne126]

I feel the need to modify this post and respond to the following gibberish:

"Example : I am more touched and impressed by Cziffra's scorching and playful performance(and fabulously colourful transcription) than a pretentiously intellectual late Beethoven performance."

In what sense is any Beethoven piece "pretentious" or "intellectual"?

This person's post is clearly a fine example of a tissue of sophistries and fallacious unsupported assertions.

[opus10no2]

Is any feeling deeper than another?

It's the convincingness, sincerity and shading with which the composer/performer expresses the feeling which define the impression it gives me.

Example : I am more touched and impressed by Cziffra's scorching and playful performance(and fabulously colourful transcription) than a pretentiously intellectual late Beethoven performance.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Is it justifiable? Have you done it?

Depends on the context.
Probably.

Curiously, I think most people would only associate showing off with technical display. Certainly that happens a lot - but I think there are also pianists who try to show off intellectually - "look at my wonderfully unique interpretation" "I'm so clever and deep" - and in some ways I think that's worse. Totally pretentious, whereas if someone is flaunting their technique in Islamey or whatever, at least it "comes with the territory", so to speak.

[Petter]

Show off with musicality 

[javacisnotrecognized]

I say it depends on the audience. If they have no freaking clue what I'm doing up there, but they'll get impressed by a few arpeggios and loud chords, why not go for it?

[db05]

Show off with musicality 

Hear, hear!!

First, let us be clear on what I think is sacrificing musicality to show off. Someone who has really mastered a piece, technically and musically, as in a concert artist or recitalist, has all the right to show off, and make exaggerated movements and such without radically changing the music itself. It shows the person's mastery of his own mechanism and of the piece. And of course it makes the performance a lot more lively. 

So how do people sacrifice musicality to show off? By
1) tackling pieces way beyond their level
2) not necessarily beyond level, but performing too soon as when all the notes are there but there is little of no understanding and interpretation

Is it justifiable? Have you done it?

Which pianists do you think have?

Where does legitimate interpretation end and pure showoff begin?

In the case of #1, I believe not. #2, I have done several times because of deadlines.

Several of my classmates. #2 usually happens because of requirements/ time restraints.

See my explanation above. 

[m19834]

I say it depends on the audience. If they have no freaking clue what I'm doing up there, but they'll get impressed by a few arpeggios and loud chords, why not go for it?

To some extent, I think I agree here.  Of course we could get philosophical about trying to define what it means to be 'musical' and how can you separate them and so on, but I won't go there  .  I will say that a tiny little example of this was when I met with a new student somewhat recently.  A very lively 11 yr old, bright, musically inclined boy, coming to me as a transfer student and being eager to learn, and having very little exposure to the music world in general (only been playing for a little over a year).  Yep, I very purposely impressed him with speed and agility -- that doesn't necessarily mean I didn't play musically though, it just means I knew exactly what would impress him most, and I made a conscious decision about what I wanted him to experience on a conscious level.  His eyes lit up and all he wanted to do was go home and practice what I had just shown him and I quickly heard back from the family that he would like to study with me.  I will have time to help him grow musically, but sometimes you really have to speak to the audience in a way that they will understand and in a way that is appropriate for the circumstances.  But, that also means you really have to know your audience.

Also, an interesting side note is that, of course, extremely technical playing can also be musical (hopefully it is), but the audience will still take away from it only what they want or know how to.  Maybe the technical playing was the most musical it could have been, but somebody will still walk away from the performance feeling overwhelmingly impressed because of the sheer speed and agility, never even thinking beyond that.

[opus10no2]

It is often true that many listeners and critics either don't comprehend or find their tastes in tune with a performance on a musical level, so they label it 'shallow note spinning' or some such cliche.

The question lies in the intent of the pianist... but I think it's perfectly acceptable to have two intentions, in harmony, and this entirely depends on the piece.

[gyzzzmo]

I never had any tendency to 'show off'. I dont really care what the audience is thinking, i only want to proof myself to my teachers and to myself.