How perfected before you'll perform a piece in public?

[Robert P]

I see various "amateur" performances - i.e. not a paid, concertizing performance - of difficult solo literature where the soloist might have a reasonable handle on some parts but it's clearly a work in progress - split/missed notes etc. where it would be rare to hear them by top-tier soloists. I'm referring to adult-aged players, not kids.

How polished do you require yourself to have a piece before you'll perform it publicly?

What about pro concertizing soloists - do they typically have a stage of development marked by highly imperfect performances?
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[epoustoufle]

I would say there are many levels of "imperfect".

Hitting the notes is one level. Having a crass sound or no style or a grossly exaggerated style are also levels. A lot of stuff on youtube (this would be amateurs I guess) can tick the box for hitting the notes but you wouldn't want to listen to them.

The first level I guess you can fix with practice but the other ones are more a reflection of the person's personality. Does anyone practice that?

[dstdenis]

Solo performances should be polished enough that the soloist can be expected to communicate what the composer intended, and so that the audience can enjoy it.

This isn't about split/missed notes, either. Of course we don't want any missed notes, but that isn't the real measure of quality. It's musical communication.

Sarah Willis recently interviewed Tamás Velenczei, co-principal trumpet of the Berlin Philharmonic. He said something that grabbed my attention: he thought that American orchestras are so focused on perfection, meaning no missed notes, that they play it too safe and stifle musical expression. He thinks European orchestras are less risk-averse and can be encouraged to "go for it." Sometimes that means a few missed notes, but sometimes this produces really powerful musical performances. Mark Gould said something similar in one of his Brass Chats interviews: he thinks orchestral trumpeters today play at a much higher level of skill, but so blended and cautious that it can seem almost boring. (Not sure I agree completely--I've heard some great performances on internet radio recently, like BSO Bruckner 6. Wow!)
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[ProAm]

I am an amateur. I want my solo performance to be at the level of the recorded professionals I listen to. Therefore, I never perform solo.

[Rapier232]

I have/do perform the occasional solo. I practice it to get it right, then practice it until I can't get it wrong. Then, and only then, would I perform it in public.
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[cheiden]

I think perfection is greatly overrated. In my musical life I've always latched onto individuals who have bridged from just playing notes, to having a voice. This isn't a particularly subtle transition. Once a player can sing then they're likely to be able to perform a solo that will be well received, regardless of the lack of perfection.

I'd rather here an expressive solo than a technically perfect one that is lifeless.
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[Jerry]

This is a very interesting discussion.

Let me start off by saying that I consider myself an advanced amateur, rehearsing and performing in unpaid community bands and orchestras, typically sitting first chair. I usually get one (modestly) paid Easter gig a year.

Yesterday morning I played an Easter gig. Interestingly, at the run-through a few nights earlier, the organist suggested I take a different approach to the way I was playing the music, with a very different interpretation.

So Sunday morning, with a focus on playing the way the organist suggested, I realized I wasn't playing as loud as I thought appropriate and found myself missing some notes. I was concerned I wasn't being heard and that the clams had ruined the performance.

It turns out it was quite the opposite. I got so many more compliments than I usually do. When I was leaving, the pastor relayed to me that he received so many compliments on my playing and that I was welcome to play any time at his church.

Since the church happened to be in my neighborhood, my wife attended and told me afterward that my playing was really beautiful. When I asked her if all of the missed notes detracted from my performance. She told me she didn't hear any missed notes.

So my point is that I experienced first-hand that a musical performance (even with several clams) trumps a note-perfect, less musical performance.

[kehaulani]

Depends on two things: who's the audience and what will you settle for.

Some audiences are very unconcerned with your profiency level. So, for them, the performance level on your part is minimal. They might even be grateful for it, regardless of what you do.

On the other hand, the audience just referred to is one thing, how you want to play is another, regardless of how low the bar is set by the listeners. What will you personally settle for?

If it's a professional venue, nothing but your best (or better) is called for.
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[Gottfried Reiche]

[cheiden]

[HERMOKIWI]

There's an expression that goes like this: "The value in art is in the imperfections." What this means is that it is the human element, the "flaws," the personal touch, which distinguishes great art and gives it great value.

A computer can reproduce a Rembrandt painting flawlessly, removing brushstrokes and other "flaws". However, the computer generated "perfect" "Rembrandt," although technically superior to the original, has no significant value while the "flawed" original Rembrandt is worth a fortune.

There are several ways to approach your performances. One way is to accept the fact that "perfect" performances are extremely rare. I saw an interview of Beverly Sills in which she said she thought she had only one perfect performance in her entire career.

Another way is to take the approach that there are no wrong notes. Here are some great quotes:

"There are no wrong notes in jazz, only notes in the wrong places." - Miles Davis

"There are no wrong notes,some are just more right than others." - Thelonius Monk

"It's not the note you play that's the wrong note - it's the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong." - Miles Davis

"There's no such thing as a wrong note." - Art Tatum

"Do not fear mistakes. There are none." - Miles Davis

"There are no wrong notes on the piano, just better choices." - Thelonius Monk

"There are no wrong notes, only wrong resolutions." - Bill Evans

"I played the wrong, wrong notes." - Thelonius Monk

Each person has their own perception of what, to them, is a credible performance. You do need to consider your audience. The standards/expectations for soloing in front of a critical ticket-paying audience with a major symphony orchestra are a lot higher than the standards/expectations for soloing with piano accompaniment in front of a group of non-critical elderly people in a retirement community who are there just for something to do.

Ultimately you have to please yourself to be satisfied. That's a very personal standard. As Ricky Nelson sang in "Garden Party," "You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself." Good advice.
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[snichols]

I think a good rule of thumb is when you have enough command over the music that you don't have to worry as much about playing it "right" and you can focus more on making music.

Everyone has different standards for what they consider "perfection". A young amateur might consider playing all of the right notes to be enough, while a professional cares about tone, pitch, accuracy, phrasing, dynamics, expression, time, and so forth.

If your standards of "perfection" are super high, and you want to sound like Chris Martin, you might have to adjust your choice of music accordingly, even if it means playing "Three Blind Mice".

If your standards of "perfection" are low, (ie. hitting the right notes and not much else), then sure, a person can play difficult music that is probably over their ability. But it doesn't mean the audience will enjoy it. They want to hear you be musical.

[Bstradivarius]