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The "ink" on the page should always be taken with a grain of salt.
(Some of you who know me from high school or early undergraduate years might be rolling their eyes right now, but I assure you, it has calmed down a lot)
Never let anybody tell you that what you played is wrong because it "isn't on the page". What is on the page is the composer's symbolic interpretation of the emotional affects that they were trying to portray. This is why dynamics, articulations, and expression markings are so subjective: the marking "forte" for example, may be meant to complement terror, hysteria, exuberance, glory, anxiety, or many other descriptors.
The key then is to understand what the emotions were, and then portray them in whatever manner actually executes the desired effect. If the composer meant "terror" at the time and had written "forte" with accents on every note, but for YOU the most terrifying way of playing the passage is "marcato" at "mezzo-forte," then go ahead! You are serving the composer more by altering the ink to fit the affect then you would be by just blindly following instructions.
P.S. Always be reasonable, and you don't get to decide this in larger ensembles!
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Very well said, the worst part is when you are working with an accompanist (or small accompanying ensemble) and they insist that what you are playing is "not on the page" and that your interpretation of the music is somehow wrong.
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