Can a performance with a few mistakes still be a "perfect" interpretation?

[pianobern69]

Is it possible for a recording of a technically-not-so-flawless performance to still be considered a "perfect" or successful interpretation? In my opinion, yes, but I want to know what you guys think. How many mistakes are too much? I'm personally a sucker for this live recording of Liszt's Dante Sonata by John Ogdon for example, even though there are some few minor mistakes here and there:

In a weird way, the mistakes almost enhance the recording for me.

[Bob]

Well... no.  You already answered the question.  If there are mistakes, it's not perfect.

Enough mistakes that it distracts.  Mistakes can be hidden, and the performer could distract the audience away like a magician. 

I could see mistakes enhancing a piece too, to show that it's that difficult or the performer is that into the music, but... It's still a mistake.

[mad_max2024]

They're not mistakes, it's jazz 

Honestly... when I like a recording I like a recording, I don't usually care if it has mistakes or not or if it's "perfect".

[lelle]

Alfred Cortot has recorded some of my favourite performances of several works. There are many wrong notes in all of them. Yet they are perfect in their imperfection.

Objectively perfect? Obviously no, since there are mistakes. Perfect in delivering an emotionally moving musical narrative? Absolutely.

[anacrusis]

I definitely think so. A few mistakes don't change the emotional content of the music, which is the important part.

[rubens99]

To me, Horowitz made the highest number of "perfect" interpretations IMO. Many of these are chock full of "extra notes". (I don't call them mistakes if they sound good.)
To me that is the true art of piano performance, and it has been completely lost nowadays, where performances are comparable to figure skating routines.

[lelle]

To me, Horowitz made the highest number of "perfect" interpretations IMO. Many of these are chock full of "extra notes". (I don't call them mistakes if they sound good.)
To me that is the true art of piano performance, and it has been completely lost nowadays, where performances are comparable to figure skating routines.

Totally agree! Who can forget Horowitz live recordings of Scriabin Op. 8 no 12?

[chopinlover01]

To me the answer is obviously yes.

This thread made me revisit Alfred Cortot, whose playing has incredibly compelling interpretations and so much color! But many recordings have plenty of wrong notes too Personally, I find them humorous with Cortot.

[dw4rn]

It seems we are more or less agreed that a performance doesn't have to be note-perfect in order to be "perfect" musically.
I think what makes the question a little confusing is the use of the word "mistake". In those amazing recordings that we're talking about - Cortot, Ogdon, Horowitz... wrong notes - yes, extra notes - yes, slips, etc... but to call these things 'mistakes' is to give them to much importance. In my vocabulary, a "mistake" is when you really go wrong, perhaps because you didn't understand the music properly, used the wrong technique or something.