Pianists play same page for 22 hours

PIANISTS have completed a 22-hour performance of an unusual work in which the composer directs that the same one page of music be played 840 times.

Dozens of pianists were involved in the performance of French composer’s Erik Satie’s to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth.

The single page of music was written by Satie in distress after the end of his relationship with his girlfriend in 1893.

His instructions were that it should be played 840 times in a row, very slowly.

Alistair McGowan, the comedian, was among the 35 musicians to participate in the event, which was featured at the Cheltenham Music Festival.

The pianists commenced the challenge at midday on Friday and finished nearly a day later on Saturday morning.

Audience members at St Paul’s church in Cheltenham brought sleeping bags with them to watch the performance.

The piece was never performed in Satie’s lifetime, and it is possible it was never intended to be heard in public.