Maya's Dream

MAYA'S DREAM was composed in 2005 on commission from the Conservatory of Amsterdam on the occasion of Daan Manneke's 65th birthday. The original version is for oboe and instrumental ensemble, but there is also a version for bassoon and instrumental ensemble. Maya is Sanskrit for Illusion. From “The Life of the Buddha”: That night Maya dreamed how the Bodhisattva entered her womb in the form of a small white elephant. At that moment, the whole earth was filled with joy. Musical instruments began to play by themselves, rivers stopped flowing, flowers bloomed everywhere and the lakes were covered with lotuses. After ten lunar months, the Bodhisattva was born. Seven days later, Maya died and was reborn as a goddess in the Tushita heaven. MAYA'S DREAM consists of three parts: Desire, Love and Enlightenment. It was written for a specific instrumentation: solo oboe, two violins, alto flute, clarinet, bassoon, trombone and double bass. This composition forms the second part of the tantric cycle, a series of compositions based on Eastern philosophy and Buddhism. They are a continuation of works such as the three Ragas.