musicians play best at home??

[alocispepraluger102]

in reading a commentary on the magnificent russian russian pianist benno moiseiwitsch, arichard evans comment grabbed me:

And once I have worked out a satisfying (if not standardized) interpretation, I am hard to sway from it. One evening last summer, I played Chopin's B Minor Sonata, the Largo of which is among the loveliest slow movements we know. One always plays best alone at home, and this night I reveled in the beauty and sentiment of that movement. When I had finished it, I was startled to find myself sliding straight into the theme of the last movement, omitting the introductory chords.

would our musician friends agree that they play their finest at home??

Edited August 26, 2011 by alocispepraluger102

[Leeway]

I don't think that's true of every musician. Yes, some do suffer from stage fright, but many turn that to their advantage by riding the adrenaline to greater heights. And some just love to be in communication with an audience and feed off that response. Besides, when you are your own judge, you tend to overrate the performance

[ep1str0phy]

Two rather different things. A proper "practice" environment enables precision and control, whereas the best live settings can induce moments of creative frenzy and even more intense listening/communication (these latter phenomena are especially true for improvisers/improvising). Then again, either situation can provoke the opposite effect.

I feel like absolute masters can sort of bridge the gap in body chemistry and psychology that renders the two situations somewhat mutually exclusive. Granted this, I more or less feel like gigs (like recordings) are snapshots--sometimes beautiful, sometimes unflattering--of what is an ongoing life. I'm sure many musicians here could relate when I say that I'm a musician 100% of the time (just as I'm a human being 100% of the time etc.), and of those several waking hours I spend doing creative stuff, only a fraction is really comprised of "live performance." Sometimes my best nights are gig nights, sometimes they're in a remote location rehearsing for several hours in a row.

Edited August 26, 2011 by ep1str0phy

[paul secor]

Don't know if this makes sense, but much of the time - though not always - I feel that musicians comunicate to me best when they seem to be playing for themselves rather than playing for me or the rest of the audience.

I'm sure that musicians have their own feelings about this.

Edited August 26, 2011 by paul secor

[alocispepraluger102]

thank you 3 gentlemen, for your rich, enlightening, and very personal explanations.

this one, particularly, will be with me for a very long time.

"Granted this, I more or less feel like gigs (like recordings) are snapshots--sometimes beautiful, sometimes unflattering--of what is an ongoing life. I'm sure many musicians here could relate when I say that I'm a musician 100% of the time (just as I'm a human being 100% of the time etc.), and of those several waking hours I spend doing creative stuff, only a fraction is really comprised of "live performance." Sometimes my best nights are gig nights, sometimes they're in a remote location rehearsing for several hours in a row."

Edited August 27, 2011 by alocispepraluger102

[BeBop]

I can't say whether I play better at home (comfort, peace, love) or in a public venue (novel, exciting, full of feedback), but I can tell you I sing a lot better in the shower.

[alocispepraluger102]

can you imagine a how a bari would sound in the shower(with the water off, of course)?

[JSngry]

I don't know when you actually play your best, but it seems like you feel best about the way you play when you have the least reason to doubt it.