In spite of what I said, that is true in classical music (you don’t mess with a Beethoven Concerto), and of course every member of an orchestra must be playing what’s written or they wouldn’t be in sync.
It’s only for a solo performer, or a member of a jazz-oriented group, that improvisation is the way to go and the performer has the freedom to do so.
This is especially true in some musical genres, like blues. Shout out “12-bar blues in B flat, 1…2…3…4…” and a small band will know exactly what to play even though they’ve never played it exactly that way before.
I’m way behind on the practical application of such technology, but recently I attended a performance of The Fantasticks. The pianist (the only instrument) was using a tablet as you described, with a left foot switch to perform virtual page turns. I guess the page-turner’s union wasn’t strong enough to prevent it.
Incidentally, a performance like that is done note-for-note, as the piano arrangement has been written by (or at least approved by) the original composer, and a sophisticated audience expects that. However, I performed this work in college (using paper music) and I confess I embellished it on occasion. I could get away with it since I was also the musical director and no one could tell me not to.
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I’ve tried using a tablet/foot pedal in a musical theater context, and as the tech works now, I don’t see myself ever preferring it to paper charts.
My page turning “skills” (and I assume those of most other pianists) are something that I’ve developed over years. Generally I don’t spend an iota of brain power on it; I reach out with whichever hand makes sense and turn. With the tablet:
-I’m Constantly hovering my foot uncomfortably over the pedal
-I have to think more about when to make the “turn”
-I’ve only got one page up at a time, which means twice as many page turns/interruptions (for some scores this can mean a page turn every 4-6 measures)
-The page is smaller, which means more eye-strain and a narrower focus, which makes it harder to pay attention to other visual cues from the band/performers
-If there is any kind of technical hiccup, you’re sunk
I like it for casual accompaniment, for lead sheets with only one or two pages, and for having a library of music at my fingertips, without carrying big binders and books, but for performance it falls way short for me.
I tried it out during rehearsals for a production of Legally Blonde last spring, and very quickly abandoned it.
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