aufspielen

Aufspielen is a German verb meaning to perform a piece of music in public or to stage a musical performance. It is primarily used in concert or recital contexts to indicate that a musician is presenting a work to an audience. The term can also be extended to imply a showy or virtuoso presentation of skills.

Etymology and forms: Aufspielen is formed from the prefix auf- and the verb spielen. It is a separable-prefix verb, so in the present tense you commonly hear structures like “spielt das Stück auf” (the orchestra plays the piece up/through). The past participle is aufgespielt, as in “Der Solist hat das Stück aufgespielt.” Its use is largely confined to musical contexts, with the more general verb aufführen often preferred for formal stage performances.

Usage and nuances: In everyday musical language, one says for example “Der Pianist spielt das Stück auf,” meaning he performs the piece on the piano. The term emphasizes the act of presenting a complete work rather than merely playing notes. It can also appear in metaphorical or ironic senses to describe someone displaying skill or virtuosity prominently, though this is less common than direct musical usage.

Relation to other terms: Aufspielen is related to, but distinct from, aufführen (to perform or stage a work) and auftreten (to appear or perform publicly, often in a broader sense). While aufspielen focuses on the act of performing a specific piece, aufführen covers the broader act of presenting a work on stage and auftreten on the act of appearing publicly.

See also: spielen, aufführen, auftreten, music performance terms.