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It happens often that I listen to a performance of a piano piece, lets say a sonata of Beethoven that extremely well played by lets say Brendel. Then sometimes I catch myself saying out loud "Beethoven is superior!", or sometimes "Brendel hands down!"

I actually get gonfused as to whom I should give the most credit. Or should I see this as two totally different skills? Composing and interpreting/performing?

I think Brendel would either laugh or cry if you told him he might be on the same level as Beethoven.

Not exactly an answer to the question, but the performers who rate highest for me are the ones that make me forget they aren't the composer. Uchida playing Mozart, for instance, brings to my mind's eye MOZART playing Mozart.

@pianoloverus: why do you think so? I praise Brendel for some of his interpretations for Beethoven's music. I think that he delivers the music so good that makes me feel like expressing that he is so good.
But then what is good is the music itself. I hope now you understood how I meant?

@David: I totally understand what you mean. Which in itself makes it a bit more of my point, having a performer doing such a great job delivering the music in such a way that one things that the performer has grasped the composer in such a high level that one gets confused on who is worth my credit when I listen to the music. It seems as if the performer becomes one with the composer, they go hand in hand.

Brendel= a very good or even great pianist
Beethoven= one of the greatest musical geniuses in the history of the world

God made the world for us and we live on god's earth now and we play our roles.

Beethoven made his composes for us and we play and enjoy with beethoven compositions.

So you cant compare human and god. Gods are always create and humans always use or play.