Daydreams for marimba and electronic synthesis and spatialization was composed by Philippe Boesmans in 1991. The score is unpublished and the original digital realization was produced in Liege, Belgium by Patrick Delges. The technology of the 1991 version used a K & K marimba pick up system that converted acoustic to MIDI information, an AKAI sampler, a homemade matrix for the spatialization, a few other pieces of hardware and an Apple computer running MAX/FTS (now MAX/MSP).
In 2003, I re-realized Boesmans’ work entirely for a single computer, and two microphones. With the help of MAX creator and now Pure Data author, Miller Puckette, Daydreams was performed again after many years. My version of Daydreams was built in MAX/MSP 3.8 and most likely is now once again obsolete.
Do I plan to make another version? Perhaps, but the amount of time and money it would take to either update the MAX/MSP patch or to port it to Pure Data is most likely too much.
This is more a lesson on the ephemerality of digital technology. We often think that digital tech solves our problems, but in many cases they create more.
Here is a recording of my version: Daydreams by Philippe Boesmans
Philippe Boesmans seemed pleased:
“I think your performance of “Daydreams” is absolutely magnificent. I have listened to it very often and have been rediscovering my piece. Such virtuosity! Such feeling for color and dynamics! Even when the marimba plays by itself, one gets the impression three are playing. The electronics are very well done.” (Boesmans, 2004)