Evaluations of solo piano performances: The role of performing with and without a musical score

The act of performing without a musical score is common and expected in many contexts. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of performing with and without a musical score on listeners’ evaluations of solo pianists. We also investigated whether the effects of score use differed according to the perceived expertise of the performer. Participants ( N = 69) were collegiate music students who observed two video recordings of a pianist performing an excerpt from Schubert’s Impromptu Op. 90, No. 2. In one of the videos, the pianist used a musical score and in the other video the pianist did not use a score. One group of participants was informed at the outset that the pianist was an expert performer and the other group was told that the pianist was a student auditioning for a graduate program as a piano major. Participants rated each performance and indicated which recording they preferred. Results indicated no significant difference in ratings by performance condition overall, but significant interaction effects indicated that the effect of performance condition was dependent upon both the perceived expertise of the performer and presentation order. Chi-square results indicated no significant differences in participants’ preferences between conditions.