Performance

What it means

A performance is the sounding realization of a musical work before an audience: the process by which a score or an orally transmitted piece is actually brought to life in sound. Unlike the work itself, which is fixed in notation or oral tradition, every performance is a unique event, shaped by the particular performers, the venue, and everyone involved in making the music.

A performance involves more than the act of playing or singing: it also involves organizational decisions such as the choice and assignment of parts, adapting to the acoustics of the space, the arrangement of the performers relative to one another, and the leading role of a conductor or concertmaster.

Musical use

The term performance spans a wide range: from the public premiere of a new work, through repeated concert performances of familiar repertoire, to informal performances at home. Historically informed performance practice studies how works were actually played at the time of their composition, in order to bring today's performances closer to those conditions.

Performance is distinguished from interpretation, which concerns the artistic reading of a work and either precedes a performance or becomes audible within it, and from mere rehearsal, which serves preparation but is not intended for an audience. It is also distinguished from composition itself: a work can exist without ever having been performed.

Performance practice

Prepare for a performance differently than for a rehearsal: think through in advance how you will handle small slips, since unlike a rehearsal, a performance cannot be stopped and restarted. Use the soundcheck or final rehearsal at the venue to adjust to its acoustics, which usually differ noticeably from your familiar practice room.