entertainment
Is there a pianist in the house? How audience members
A Sydney screening of La La Land with live orchestra was rescued by a brave (and skilled) amateur pianist. What happens when classical performers, or their instruments, suddenly collapse? Plus, Tavener’s mystic pantomime finally gets to the stage
TL;DR
- Sterling Nasa, a 21-year-old student, performed a piano solo during a live orchestra screening of La La Land when the original keyboardist became ill.
- Patrick McCarthy, a music graduate, performed a baritone solo with the London Symphony Orchestra in 1974 after the original soloist collapsed.
- Live performances are fraught with potential issues, including broken strings, cracked reeds, and performers playing the wrong repertoire.
- Maria João Pires famously played Mozart's Piano Concerto No 20 from memory after realizing she had prepared for the wrong concerto.
- John Tavener's "mystic pantomime" Krishna, composed in 2005, is finally receiving its first staging.
- Tavener's music, exemplified by "The Death of Ivan Ilyich," explores themes of spirituality, agony, and transcendence.
- Katia and Marielle Labeque's new anthology celebrates their 55-year career with a diverse range of composers.