We are fortunate to have recordings of our favorite songs by our favorite artists readily available on streaming services today. Before Spotify was a thing, people had to buy the CD —or vinyl if using a turntable— to be able to catch such performances. Those who managed to buy tickets for concerts are even more fortunate to see their favorite artist play their favorite songs in person; those who managed to attend such concert and obtain a recording of it seem to have hit the jackpot right there. For the perspective of the musician, there exists a debate whether the recordings of live performances are better than those in the studio and vice-versa. Both have their merits and drawbacks so let’s see.
Those who argue for live performance recordings want to show the artist with all the excitement and anxiety of performing in front of a live audience —even the mistakes! At the comfort of your home —or elsewhere for that matter— you can bring the excitement to your preferred streaming service or CD and feel as if you were there in the concert. It is terrific playing that one can witness, even if just by listening to it —or if it was filmed/televised, probably even better.
Those in the camp of studio recordings argue for the perfection of all of it. As it is in the controlled environment of the recording studio, it is all within the control of the performer and the engineers in filtering out the takes before showing the final product. The studio is basically their oyster. Recording in the studio takes a lot of effort to get everything right, which pretty much sounds like the perfectionist’s safe space.
Let me tell you, the consumer’s preference of live or studio recordings must not be some way to show off taste. There are pianists like Artur Rubinstein who preferred to record in the studio, whereas others like Sviastoslav Richter who enjoyed the excitement of the recital —despite his dislike of the studio, he took the sessions seriously. If you want perfection with all the fine details present, the studio recordings are for you; if you want the thrill, excitement, and imperfections that still show how musicians on stage are still human, then live performance recordings are the way to go.