Perfection

[keitokyun]

How long does it usually take you guys to be able to perfect a 5-6 min. piece? In other words, how long does it take it for you to be confident enough in your performance to be able to present it?

[chopinlover01]

Depends on the piece entirely. Time usually has little to do with it.
If it's a 6 minute Hungarian Rhapsody, it's going to be a lot different than, say, a 6 minute Chopin nocturne.

[keypeg]

Is perfection ever reached?

[outin]

Is perfection ever reached?

Nope...

[adodd81802]

The biggest problem with perfection is it's always open to interpretation. You could play 100% by the score and somebody still won't like it!

[rmbarbosa]

When I was 12 years old, I "studied" the Nocturn post. in C sharp minor (Chopin) and played it in public. Quite nice, I think.
Now, 62 years after, I am yet "studing" the same Nocturn and I dont feel I play it perfectly...
Perfection is a dream... a dream we cant reach... it is allways possible to play more perfectly... untill our death...

[pencilart3]

Harrison hit the nail on the head.

[ffchopinist]

I don't know if there's such a thing as "perfecting" a piece to me...continuing to improve and find new ways to approach a piece after coming back to it years later is a lifelong pursuit, in my opinion. My teacher is a big proponent of coming back to big pieces with a fresh perspective later to continue perfecting them even after they've reached a certain level of presentation in the past....your approach to the piece will change after having studied other things.    If we're talking "performance ready" for recital or competition, that could also be anything from months to a year depending on the level of detail of "performance ready" and the scope of the competition.   If we're talking "good enough to 'graduate' from the piece during lessons and move onto the next for now," then anything from 1-6 months depending on the level of difficulty of the piece and on how high the teacher's standards are.  High standards are a good thing!

[pencilart3]

I don't know if there's such a thing as "perfecting" a piece to me.

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