I wrote this is a message about aiming for perfection, to post on the General Discussion Forum, then realised that there could well be pianists who would be interested in the bit about the radio programme and might miss it there.

Amber wrote on the Grade 5 Theory thread:

QUOTE (Amber @ Nov 5 2004, 02:50 PM)

Is aiming for perfection good or bad?   I always seem to strive for it, but it can be hard work at times.

I think aiming for perfection is good, but achieving it is so rare (especially, in a musical context, in a live performance of any kind) that you have to train yourself not to take it too hard if you don't achieve it. You need to develop an "off switch" for it. I've just had some button badges made in particular for the players in my elementary orchestra for adults, saying "My best is good enough". I was reminded again only this morning on BBC Radio 3 that the top professionals don't always play perfectly (which I knew anyway!). On the "building a library" programme which was comparing the available recordings of Charles Ives's ferociously difficult Concord Sonata (for piano) there was a comment about a clumsy edit which had actually made it onto a finished recording. Oops!

BTW if you want to hear the detailed and interesting comparison of the recordings I believe you should be able to pick it up on the BBC Web site for the next week - www.bbc.co.uk. Two movements of the sonata will also be played tomorrow morning (Sunday November 7) at about 11.30 GMT on BBC Radio 3's Cowan Collection programme.I