A set of four partbooks in the British Library, possibly used by Anne Stuart's oboe band, contains music by James Paisible, Henry Purcell, Thomas Tallot, Thomas Morgan, Pascal Colasse, and Gottfried Finger.
Composer Biography
James (Jacques) Paisible, Queen Anne's principal court composer, was a virtuoso wind player and part of the original quartet of French oboists who arrived in London in the 1670s.
Historical Context
The new French oboes and bassoons emerged from instrument makers' workshops at the court of Louis XIV in the 1660s, gradually replacing older wind ensembles like the Alta Cappella.
Historical Context
In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, oboe bands were very popular, playing for royalty, at military marches, state funerals, and public pageants.
Historical Context
Queen Anne Stuart, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, was a music lover who played the harpsichord and guitar, and maintained one of the most active retinues of musicians outside the Chapel Royal.
Instruments
Oboe bands typically consisted of two oboes, a tenor oboe (taille), and a bassoon, reflecting the four-part scoring common in orchestral music of the era.
Compositional Technique
The 'taille' (tenor oboe) partbook uses a C2 mezzo-soprano clef, allowing the player to use standard treble clef oboe fingerings to automatically sound the correct pitch.
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