Falsobordone
Chordal psalm setting of the Renaissance.
What it means
Falsobordone is a plain, chordal setting for the delivery of psalms and other liturgical texts that was widespread in the sixteenth century, especially in Italy and Spain. The voices move together in note-against-note writing and follow the structure of the psalm formula: the text is recited on an unchanging chord, and at the verse endings short cadential turns stand.
Musical use
The setting transfers the principle of the monophonic psalm tone into polyphony. As in the monophonic delivery, there is a recitation section on which any number of syllables can be sung and a melodically moving closing formula. In the notation the recitation chord is often written only as a single long value without a fixed rhythm, and the singers distribute the syllables according to the flow of speech.
The advantages lie in intelligibility of the text and in simplicity: the setting is quickly learned, can be transferred to any verses, and at the same time fulfils the need for festive polyphony. It often alternates in performance with monophonic verses. The upper voice often carries the psalm formula, but this is not obligatory.
The name is related to faux-bourdon but designates something different. The faux-bourdon is an older way of writing with parallel first-inversion chords over a given melody; the falsobordone is a chordal recitation setting that is not bound to parallel motion and prefers root-position chords.
The setting arose in the late fifteenth century in Italy and Spain for the delivery of psalms and Magnificat in worship. The voices sing the text on a sustained chord in free speech rhythm and meet at the line endings in a cadence. The name refers to the fauxbourdon, but the setting is in root position and in four parts and has little in common with its parallel sixths.
Performance practice
Recite the text on the sustained chord in natural speech rhythm and together — not each voice for itself. Shape the cadential turns at the verse endings calmly and breathing together. And take care that the reciting note does not sink; this is the most common difficulty.