Ecstasy and Inertia
About This Project
“Ecstasy and Inertia” for piano, cello, violin and optional live electronics.
“Ecstasy and Inertia” is a piece for piano trio and optional electronics inspired by a chapter in Jean Baudrillard’s book “Fatal Strategies” in 1983. The concept reflects how objects and events in contemporary society continually surpass themselves, growing and expanding in power ecstasy. With time, the objects themselves come to dominate the exhausted subject, whose fascination with the play of objects turns to apathy, stupefaction, and inertia.
Filmed in 360, 5K format using a GoPro Fusion camera and a Zoom H3-VR recording ambisonics audio, later decoded to binaural. The perspective of the audio changes as the user moves the camera, requiring headphones to work.
Performed by Ensemble dal Niente, ensemble-in-residence at the University of Virginia 2020-2021
Piano: Mabel Kwan
Violin: Tara Lynn Ramsey
Cello: Chris Wild
Recording Engineer: Igor Santos
Project possible thanks to the support of the Virginia Center for Computer Music and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Council at the University of Virginia.