Lasso - Falsobordone
  • I am trying to introduce Falsobordone (Fauxbourdon) to my choir at our Extraordinary Form Mass. Having read a forum post about Lasso's Falsobordone, I went to the music library at my local university and found his settings in his complete works.

    The Falsobordone are listed my Primi Toni, Secundo Toni etc. I expected these to line up with the 8 modes but it appears they do not.

    What am I missing?

    I have attached the First Lasso Tone as well as my pointing of the text. I took the Mode I Psalm tone from the 23rd Sunday After Pentecost Communion Proper. My intention is to set the lesser Doxologies to the falsobordone as a way to introduce this to the choir.

    Thanks for the help.
    J


  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    The first thing is that Lassus' falsibordoni use the psalm-tones of the Divine Office, not the more intricate tones used at the processional chants of the Mass (i.e. the Introit & Communion); all of these tones, together with their variant endings, can be found in the Antiphonale or the Liber Usualis. Also, I assume you know this, but for anyone who doesn't, the psalm-tone in these (and, in deed, in most) falsibordoni occur in the Tenor voice, not the Treble.

    The tone that you have used is tone 1-D, which is probably the best to use in this situation, since the psalm-tone used for most of the Mode I processional chants ends on D (re). I don't have my copy of the Lassus Edition with me, so I'm not sure exactly how many different endings he used for Mode I : I know he used endings D, g, and f, but I don't remember if he used others.

    The second thing is that the versions of the Office tones used by Lassus were those that were current at his time, so there will be variants between the melodies known and used by Lassus and those that appear, 'restored', in the Solesmes books -- Mode IV in particular is different.

    I hope that this helps a little.

    Just as a side note to anyone interested, in addition to faburdens for the regular eight tones and Peregrinus, there is also an interesting fauxbourdon that doesn't seem to correspond to any known tone that I can think of -- it is certainly an Irregular Tone, very irregular.
  • Heath
    Posts: 933
    iamjohnmorgan, please crank all of these out for us and share! I've been wanting to use some alternate Gloria Patri harmonizations with my choir!
    Thanked by 1eft94530
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,767
    As you no doubt already know from reading the German preface, the attribution is to "circle of", but they're still so much more fun than Carlo Rossini's! I've used some of these for Gospel Acclamations:
  • Thanks for the help Salieri. I had not realized the office had different tones. Heath,I think I will find a fauxbourdon that uses the Mass Modes instead. I will post once completed.
    Thanked by 1eft94530
  • I completed the Lasso Falsobordoni for all of the Psalm Tones. I am going to use them for a while and make edits as necessary. Please feel free to send me any comments and edits. If you are interested in getting the Sibelius or XML file please send me a PM with your email address as the forum won't let me post it here.