Fauxbourdons, Tonales
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    I'm sure many of us know about Bud Clark, whose huge collection of sacred music can be found at quilisma-publications.info.

    In his collection are two "tonales" by Lasso and Viadana. These are four-part harmonization formulas for each of the eight psalm tones (hence "tonale"). I have read that Lasso composed many more of these, and that they're collected somewhere. It would be very nice to know where, and for someone to scan/post them, because it seems to me that these kinds of things are a) by Roman Catholic composers, b) very useful for setting all sorts of things, and c) entirely in the public domain.

    The general approach of writing flexible harmonic formulae for sacred use seems to me a stimulating one. As we all know, Anglicans have done nice things with such formulae; we RC's do not, of course, need to adopt their formulae wholesale. Much can be explored and developed. Thoughts?

    Jeff O, can modal formulae be derived from the NOH?
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,032
    You can find the Lassus fauxbourdon in the new edition of his complete works, which you should be able to find at any good (or at least larger) music library. Most are for 5 or more voices. As far as I know they are not online.

    You're probably aware that Jeff Ostrowski has posted volumes 2-4 of the famous 19th century collection "Musica Divina" which includes a whole section of fauxbourdons:

    http://jeff.ostrowski.cc/musica_divina.htm

    You can find links to fauxbourdons by Victoria here (5 voices), third box from the bottom of the page:

    http://www.upv.es/coro/victoria/partituras.html

    It can take some sleuthing to find fauxbourdon settings by Renaissance composers. I have found some in old 19th century editions as well as newer Protestant publications. I have also adapted some fauxbourdons from sections of simpler motets. I have set a bunch of verses of responsorial psalms to fauxbourdons of seven of the eight tones (excluding mode 7) by various composers which can be found at the Chabanel Psalms website.

    Sam Schmitt
  • RagueneauRagueneau
    Posts: 2,592
    Thank you, Sam!

    Pes, E-mail me and I will send you an example of what they sound like.

    jeff@ostrowski.cc

    Best,

    JMO
  • Pes
    Posts: 623
    Jeff

    Thanks!

    You can find the Lassus fauxbourdon in the new edition of his complete works, which you should be able to find at any good (or at least larger) music library.

    You would think, eh? You'd be surprised. I'm near a major university, and its library does not own it. It has the complete motets edited by Bergquist, for which I'm thankful, but not the completed series. I could fork over 129 euros for the right volume (the 25th). Hmm...

    Sam

    Thanks! You guys are the best.
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