This is a piece about the visual age. In the Society of the Spectacle (1967), Guy Debord writes about a culture where (…) everything that was directly lived has receded into a mere representation. Fifty years later, this is more apparent than ever. Visuals and more specifically, videos are used widely and primarily to accommodate all aspects of the late consumerist world. YouTude is a piece that draws inspiration from this society, where video sharing platforms are the primal medium for entertainment, tutoring, information, marketing, propaganda and all other aspects of life in the society (…) dominated by modern means of production.
The musical material from this piece comes from the top 20 most viewed songs on Youtube. Either as harmonies on the piano, or as snippets of the songs themselves. The audience takes crucial part in the piece giving another audiovisual layer from the material they have recorded during the performance.
Nadezda Philippova – Piano
De Roode Bioscoop, Amsterdam
Composed for Gaudeamus Festival
