Hi Everybody,
Can't remember if I asked this question before.
I'm wondering how you all feel about repeats. I'll probably get flogged for saying this, but I don't like them. I like playing through a section and continuing on to the next. Repeating an entire section I think is well...repetitive and I wonder why composers put them in all the time. It gets boring to hear a whole two or three pages all over again before you get to go on. Was it too just take up more time? Did they think the listener may not have heard it correctly the first time? Do professionals always take the repeats or is it ever okay not to?

The widely accepted way of doing it these days, at least in a clasical sonata, is to observe the 1st repeat but not the 2nd. Seems to make good sense to me - the second part often consists of a development section and then a (partial) restatement of the first part. It also depends on whether there is an interesting transition leading back to the 1st repeat - if so, that could be a reason to take it.

Having said that, I think not many pianists observe the repeat in the 1st movements of the Chopin Sonatas 2 and 3. Or perhaps they do nowadays ? Not sure really.

sometimes I don't like the repeats but I want to respect the piece of the composer so I always play them!

I agree with all above but put your heart in composers shoes. They love their music so much perhaps more than we do, repeating is not just make up times but also gives the audience a CLEAR communication what they have heard in the first play. ALso, thoses composers..are addicted to their work, theirfore, I were them, I would do the same....keep singining...
I was told once by my teacher, that there is no limit by the amount of repeatings, you can do once ..twice..3,4. As generally speaking, twice is enough for MODERN DAYS.
I hope this helps