Decisions in Music Interpretation and Performance

How do we decide how to interpret and perform a piece of music? Of course, composer intentions are an important consideration. But are they the only consideration, or even the most important one?

A performer will consider a variety of things when deciding how to perform a piece of music. Some of the things that inform us include:

Composer intentions (real or perceived). These can sometimes be found in the score, although editors and engravers do not necessarily reflect a composer’s intentions accurately. Sometimes they are unknown, and some composers did not desire to specify clear performance intentions. Sometimes, composer intentions were based on cultural norms, expectations, styles, or technology of the day, which may no longer make sense or even be possible on modern instruments or in contemporary settings of the present day.

The style, genre, and period of the music.

The cultural backdrop of the period; what was happening in society, in the world, and in the life of the composer when they were living and composing that may have affected or motivated them.

Performance practices of the day.

Performance practices of today. For example, some music when written may have been performed only in a close settings for a small gathering of people, such as a home, or only in church. Today, that music might be performed on stage in a large concert hall, or in a recording studio, or as underscoring for a film. As another example, some music when written may have been performed typically on poor quality instruments in loud or active settings such as saloons, brothels, and dance halls. Today, that music might be performed on high quality instruments in formal settings in front of quiet, still audiences.

Hearing how others have performed the music may impact how we decide to perform the music.

The actual instrument being played. For example, I might perform a piece of ragtime piano music differently on an old clunky upright versus a new Steinway grand.

The audience and the setting. Audiences may have certain expectations in different settings. For example, am I performing this music for a faculty jury at the music conservatory, or for a group of children in an elementary school setting, or for the elderly residents of a retirement home? How might I play the same music differently in each setting?

The knowledge, skills, and abilities of the performer.

The mood of the performer. If I am feeling melancholy, will that impact how I perform a piece? Or how about if I have performed the same piece many time, and consider trying some new creative ideas to mix things up, experiment, fight boredom or tedium, break up what feels like a rut, or just have some fun?

The performer’s interpretation of the music. It’s possible a performer’s inspiration or ideas may be better than what came before. Composers have been known to be pleased with unexpected performances of their work, even if very different than originally intended. (Of course, this is not always the case!)

Performer intentions. For example, what audience, if any, does the performer intend to please? Does the performer aim to please or intend to ruffle feathers? Is the performer striving to provide quiet background music, or to become the center of attention? Is the performer’s goal to replicate the sounds of instruments of a prior age, or to take advantage of the enhancements of today’s instruments?

Composer’s intentions are, of course, high on the list of considerations, but they are not the be-all-end-all, even if they are believed to be known. Much of the best music, throughout history and across cultures, has been written and performed by people breaking “rules.” The “rules” themselves are often put in place after the fact, and the rules themselves change over time. If we had to abide by (supposed) composer intentions every time we performed a piece of music, we wouldn’t have orchestrations of piano music, transcriptions of orchestral music, concert versions of dance music, variations on themes, reimagined staging of operas, vocal jazz renditions of Bach fugues, or hip-hop covers of pop songs.

An Example of Interpretation and Performance Decision-making: How Should I Play Scott Joplin’s Ragtime Piano Music?

Scott Joplin (1868-1917), who composed during the turn on the 20th century (period), expressed that he did not prefer ragtime (style, genre) to be played too fast (composer intentions). The fact that he wrote that preference on many of his compositions is evidence that the performers of his day were playing ragtime fast (performance practice of the day). But what did he mean by fast, too fast, not too fast, or slow? For example, a “slow march time” tempo is still pretty fast, and “slow waltz time” tempo can mean different things to different people in different places and times.

Scott Joplin was active during a deeply oppressive time and culture and he was striving to gain acceptance in a world that marginalized him and looked at his music and his peers with contempt and disdain (cultural backdrop). His music was played mostly on lesser-quality instruments in saloons, brothels, dance halls, parlors, and people’s homes, but he wanted it to be played on high-quality instruments in concert halls (audience and setting). Many of the Black musicians who performed his music were self-taught or didn’t have access to the same education as their white peers. Yet they pioneered and developed jazz music and other popular music styles (knowledge, skills, and abilities).

Many years after his death, ragtime revivals saw his music played in front of new audiences, in concert halls, and on television programs (audience and setting). His music has since been played by millions of performers around the world, in many settings for many audiences, it has been orchestrated, used in film scores, played by jazz bands, instruments have evolved, audiences, performance settings, and cultural backdrops have changed and evolved. It has been played fast, and it has been played slow (hearing how others have performed the music).

Speaking of slow… As an experiment, ask several different people to march at a “slow tempo,” and witness the diversity of interpretation!

Music is more a creative and interpretive art, and less a mechanical, compliant one (performer interpretation and intention).