Why can strict faithfulness to a musical score create problems for performers?

Strict faithfulness to a musical score can create significant challenges for performers because no musical notation system can perfectly capture every element of sound—such as pitch, rhythm, timbre, and volume—with absolute precision.1

The problems arise from several factors:

• Inherent Limitations of Notation: Staff notation is often too clumsy or specific to convey the nuance and feeling required for a performance. While it provides a structural framework, the finer points of expression must ultimately stem from the performer’s own artistic conscience and understanding of performance traditions.234
• Historical Context: In many musical eras, such as the 17th and 18th centuries, composers provided only the structural foundation, expecting performers to improvise ornamentation and modify rhythms based on their knowledge of style. Treating such scores as rigid, literal texts ignores the historical expectation of performer agency.35
• Modern Complexity: In 20th-century styles like serialism, the sheer density of technical markings can clutter the page, while chance music intentionally requires performer freedom that a strict, literal reading would stifle.2

Ultimately, a performer has a dual duty: to the fundamental character of the work and to their own artistic interpretation. Over-reliance on a literal "urtext" can lead to a sterile experience, as the performer is an essential participant in creating the total musical experience.4