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 The score is unpublished and the original digital realization was produced in Liege, Belgium by Jean-Marc Sullon and Patrick Delges.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 (MAX/MSP and now just MAX).
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 is now once again obsolete.
I wrote an article about this: “Re-realizing Philippe Boesmans’ ‘Daydreams’: A Performative Approach to Live Electro-Acoustic Music”
Do I plan to make another version? Yes, 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 c. 2003:
Philippe Boesmans seemed pleased he said:
“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)
Boesmans passed away a few years ago. He was always very open and eager for people to perform his music. I hope that more people continue to perform Day Dreams and many other of Boesmans’ works in the future.