Freda Swain
Paspy For Oboe (or Flute) and Piano
Paspy For Oboe (or Flute) and Piano
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Paspy
For Oboe (or Flute) and Piano
Between 1963 and 1965, Freda Swain appears to have experienced a burst of creativity in her oboe writing. No fewer than five pieces resulted during this period, including this short collection.
Composed in 1963, ‘Paspy’, together with the ‘Three Whimsies’, which were also written in that year, seems to have been the first in this small series.
What these oboe works have in common is that they are not overly challenging. Unfortunately, I have not yet been able to find any trace of their genesis; however, it is possible that Swain met a talented amateur oboist and composed the pieces for him/her.
Swain repeatedly compiled her own catalogue of works. However, these lists are inaccurate and often contradict each other, particularly with regard to the dates and durations of the pieces. Smaller works usually do not appear, but the oboe works do. Perhaps this is a sign that Swain did attach a certain importance to them after all. This is consistent with the fact that almost all of them have been printed, or at least preparations have been made to do so.
'Paspy' is a short, cheerful piece ideal for an encore or teaching. Although it is in E-flat major, it repeatedly deviates to C major, giving it a boisterous character and clearly locating the work in the 20th century.
The seemingly strange title is a phonetic approximation of the French 'Passepied', a lively traditional dance from the courts and ballets of France that was popular from the 16th to the 18th century and often appears in pastoral scenes in Baroque music.
Freda Swain also provided for the possibility of performing the piece on the flute.
