addendum

[calimac]

You know what I forgot to mention about the Lou Harrison centenary concert?

Pianist Sarah Cahill's iPad failed on her, twice. This was the one she was trying to read her piano part from, so it was kind of vital. She provided commentary on this: it had just been charged, it was on 99%, and it still died.

Fortunately the violinist also had the piano score, so Cahill borrowed that.

Lesson: Put not your faith in technology. Especially if you're playing the low-tech work of Lou Harrison.

Comments

[bibliofile]

I have always found paper to be a highly reliable technology during concerts, unless of course the electricity fails and there are no lights.

[calimac]

Without lights, computers can be useful. Ursula Le Guin once said in an interview that the advantage for an author of using a computer is that she can write poetry in the dark.

However, even in the dark it may not always be necessary, given that for performers the printed music is often more of an aide-mémoire than anything else. I once heard a broadcast concert of a concerto in which applause broke out in the middle of a movement, a most unusual thing at a classical concert. Afterwards the announcers explained that the lights had gone out but the players kept on going. The applause came when the lights turned back on.