Performance in piano playing

[immortalbeloved]

Hey all,

So I had an interesting discussion with my teacher today about performance in piano playing. It was a long one but I would love your opinion. She said two things that I in particular find note worthy. The first was the she has two level 10 students who are doing the same piece and will use this piece for their level 10 test. Well in her opinion the one who performs the piece well maybe will have the better chance of passing because with her performance she may better absorb the audience so much so that they will not be able to notice if one note is missing whereas the other girl, who in my teachers eye is the better player, may not pass because she is so boring and thus the examiner will more likely notice mistakes. I found this odd and in fact a negative thing not at all a good thing, but what do you think about this and what are your opinions generally. My teacher seemed to think this a good thing.

When I brought up the example of Horowitz she said that even he performed, something I cannot see personally. In fact, I recall his wife saying she listens to him from upstairs to avoid being influenced by anything other than his playing.

I of course believe performance and passion are good things, but the difference between passing and failing? That seems unfair.

[hardy_practice]

The only thing judges/examiners/audiences are interested in is how musical a performance is.  They have no interest in mistakes one way or another.  

[immortalbeloved]

I must confess that surprises me . . . Again, not with the performance, but with the judges. Again, in the story, it was an issue of two of her students and one more likely to pass simply because she was the performer.

[outin]

Are we talking about performing as the way the player looks?
Because what you write is a bit confusing...aren't we supposed to perform the music as well as possible? So I don't see how the one who performs better is not also a better player...

[birba]

You say the teacher thinks the note perfect student is the "better" pianist.  Well what is performing all about?  I think i would applaude the judge who determines a performance's worth on it's musical wealth and not the number of wrong notes.

[immortalbeloved]

What my teacher said was that out of the two players, the one who performed better was NOT the better pianist, but the one who was technically better was so boring that rather than be absorbed in the performance she was more able to find the mistakes, while the more outgoing player had her hooked.

[birba]

Well, to me, the one who performs better is the better pianist.  Wrong notes included.

[chopinlover01]

Well, to me, the one who performs better is the better pianist.  Wrong notes included.

Yes, but there is a fine line between "musical but has some wrong notes" and "musical but is a mess".
Ideally your musicality shouldn't succumb to your technique, and vice versa.

[hardy_practice]

and "musical but is a mess".

That's called 'unprepared' and will also fail you.

[dcstudio]

What my teacher said was that out of the two players, the one who performed better was NOT the better pianist, but the one who was technically better was so boring that rather than be absorbed in the performance she was more able to find the mistakes, while the more outgoing player had her hooked.

your teacher is absolutely right;  I live this concept daily...    a performance is a performance and has far more variables to consider than correct notes.   One student plays all the notes correctly but sounds square and boring...  the other one may miss a few but is more exciting to watch and to listen to...  the exciting guy will win every time.  Who do you think gets booked for the gigs... the one that plays every note correctly.. or the one that connects with the audience?   Who is easier to work with? LOL...    if you are going to get paid to perform you had better be exciting to watch... because most people can't hear for SH!T anyway. 

[hardy_practice]

Here's Anton Rubinstein - probably the most famous pianist of the 19th century - after a concert in Berlin in 1875, "If I could gather up all the notes that I let fall under the piano, I could give a second concert with them."

[immortalbeloved]

Oh my, now that is a wonderful line.

If I can just ask, not to argue but only out of mere curiosity, did you all think that I was being unfair to Horowitz in using his name as a small counter-point?