Falsobordone, the Miserere of Allegri, and a most bizarre musicological error

For the footnotes and other extra information see the following link:
www.earlymusicsources.com/you...
Created by Elam Rotem
www.earlymusicsources.com
Singing: Jacob Lawrence, Doron Schlefier, Elam Rotem
Many thanks to Enrico Correggia and Marc Lewon for their knowledgeable contributions, and to Jörg-Andreas Bötticher and the Predigerkirche Basel for allowing us to film with the anonymous Italian organs (late 18. century).
Special thanks to Anne Smith And Alon Schab.
Support us on PATREON: / earlymusicsources
Support us by getting an Awesome T-shirt: teechip.com/stores/earlymusic...

[@alejandrom.4680]

Are we going to ignore the rendition that the tenor did? That was mind bowing

[@arcana830]

Alejandro M. He was great hey

[@Lazergaz]

Incredible, indeed!

[@whiskyngeets]

Indeed.

[@shannonmillard8655]

Agreed!

[@kolkolak]

That was breathtaking! (For him especially...:)

[@oliviu-dorianconstantinesc288]

The Miserere high C is the most beautiful musical mistake ever. Well worth it.

[@FernieCanto]

Soprano C, we like to keep it on a high note.

[@RhapsodyOfJoy]

It's probably the most beautiful mistake of any kind , ever 😊

[@user_g41b4t91yy]

Can't agree with you more!

[@larry-naylor]

I couldn't agree more. It moves me beyond words and is what makes this piece so beautiful for me.

[@larry-naylor]

@@user_g41b4t91yy do you mean couldn't agree more? If you can't agree more it means you're in disagreement with the statement.i'm not being a grammar nazi, I have autism and I'm genuinely interested in your point of view.

[@maximilianraab18]

I am staggered by the quality of your videos. So aesthetically pleasing, the sheet and music placed so well as to explain and elaborate on your points, a very pleasant talking speed with great pronunciation of the different languages. Your videos are extremely informative, well written and entertaining. Thank you for the immense work you put into your creations!

[@AlexThomson-EasternApproaches]

Elam is a fantastically gifted man and communicates it all so humbly.

[@farahmohammed1963]

Show your support!! 🌺😊

[@johnopalko5223]

That "generic falsobordone" you wrote was gorgeous. Well done!

[@Tubomiro]

I agree 100%. I should try my hand at writing my own generic falsobordone (which will be crappy), and add it to the generic falsobordone beautifully written by Dr. Rotem. In the future, both versions will be performed as a single and favored generic falsobordone ever written, and only someone smart will be able to decipher the one not original to Dr. Rotem.

[@dlevi67]

@@Tubomiro Just shift it up by a third. It seems to work.

[@Advent22mix]

Came here to say the exact same thing. I've even revisited this video a few times specifically to hear it again.

[@AliciaB.]

4:30

[@DavidRutten]

Pure Thomas Tallis... gave me shivers all right.

[@martinmar148]

"This is a generic falsobordone I wrote" (A sublime excerpt of music is heard) Mr. Rotem, if a were a Church prelate, you would be hands-down my maestro di cappella. And this was a superb video. As usual! You are producing one of the best online musicological resources available on the web. If not the best!

[@danyelnicholas]

Or, if an authentic « early » prelate, drive him away as a non christian and burn his books…

[@mrrandomperson3106]

Dr.* Rotem

[@kamatis78]

who else would listen to a complete rotem's miserere? that generic falsobordone was beautiful!

[@ludustestudinis]

And who will write down some embellishments to be inserted in the wrong key? ;-)

[@danyelnicholas]

I much rather listen to his magnificent counterpoint on Hebrew texts.

[@2JohJoh2]

I always thought the "modulation" was a brilliant piece of creativity by Allegri - now it seems it was one of the first"remixes" that (may) sound better then the original !! Hats of for your research, and (amazingly) clear explanation of the subject ...

[@alecrobinson7124]

Same, I thought it was a brilliant early flat II. That was a beautiful mistake, though.

[@WarpRulez]

And an accidental remix at that.

[@WarpRulez]

@BVale Asserting with confidence that Bach did not compose the most famous toccata attributed to him is nothing but people being overly eager to show "secret knowledge" that the vast majority of people don't know, making them sound smart and knowledgeable. On the other hand, asserting with confidence the converse is not proper either. As far as I understand, there's no absolute certainty among historians and musicologists whether it was indeed composed by Bach, or just attributed to him later (something that has demonstrably happened with other pieces of music many, many times, with many composers). It's in essence no different from attributing a saying to the wrong person, or in the modern world attributing photographs and videos to the wrong event and place (it may be a genuine mistake, or a deliberate attempt at deception, but the end result is that millions of people believe the wrong thing.) Some doubt has been cast onto the authorship of the piece because it cannot be established with absolute certainty, and the style doesn't seem to mach any of the other Bach's compositions. It would be strange that he would compose one single piece using this particular style, and no others. On the other hand, it cannot be stated with certainty that he did not compose it, either.

[@2JohJoh2]

@@WarpRulez Maybe the first, certainly not the last ;)

[@FernieCanto]

A "stroke of genius" is actually a mistake. Reminds me of that maxim: if something is too good to be true, it's probably not true.

[@WarpRulez]

I could listen to an entire concert sung in that manner by that virtuoso at 7:56.

[@mwnyc3976]

Here are some more KZbin videos in which Jacob Lawrence is singing: kzbin.info?search_query="jacob+lawrence"+tenor Be sure to listen to the two from the 2020 Bovicelli Competition (which he won).

[@JWBaSiTo]

7:59 I can't get over how good this is

[@simonprecheurllarena]

Since Mendelssohn most probably had perfect pitch, this means the high C version might actually be faithful to what was heard in the sixtine chapel after all.

[@ultramet]

The KZbin algorithm brought me to this video somehow. I don’t want to leave now. What a wonderful educational video describing a piece of music that I never knew contained an error. Love that high C.

[@Monrealese]

I'm fortunate to sing a lot of falsobordone with Cantores Sancti Gregorii during tridentine masses here in the Netherlands. I love doing this, especially when improvised!

[@dlevi67]

"Here in the Netherlands" - not in the Duomo di Monreale? That would be wonderful (and I wonder how it would sound - I'd come to listen, even if it's 2000 miles away).

[@patriksabo1141]

@@dlevi67 since his name is Monrealese...

[@dlevi67]

@@patriksabo1141 Precisely the reason for my comment.

[@Monrealese]

My mother comes from Monreale but is living in the Netherlands for almost 50 years now. I have a deep connection with the place, trying to go on a regular basis. I even had the opportunity to play the organ in the Duomo some years ago (it has 6! manuals)

[@dlevi67]

@@Monrealese Lucky you! Enjoy, and keep making good music, no matter where!

[@virginiaorganbuilder]

The organ that you use for the examples has one of the most beautiful 8' principals I have ever heard.

[@carlstenger5893]

Yet another wonderful episode. Thanks so much!

[@davidjgarcia4351]

Ah, finally the video that I was expecting for. Thanks for your efford Elam!

[@gustavf.6067]

Can't state how amazing this video is. Thank you so much!

[@picard2bridge]

Brilliant program and analysis. Thanks!

[@Advent22mix]

Man I love this channel! Always educational, inspiring, thought provoking, and entertaining.

[@anibalcorreablanco6905]

Extraordinario muchas gracias Early Music !

[@johannesockeghem6299]

Sehr gut erklärt, once again bravo Elam Rotem!

[@SpringNotes]

The mistake does indeed has a "certain bizarre beauty in it" - which makes it highly memorable. Thank you for explaining the history of the Miserere of Allegri. It looks like with time, people were playing a game of Chinese Whispers.

[@stellario82]

Best musicological video ever seen on KZbin: please, post more of this!!!

[@RandolphCrane]

The way you present the information is really professional, yet easy to understand! :-)

[@lucaslujan4062]

Felicitaciones por el canal! es absolutamente maravilloso. Gracias!!

[@emeegeeehen]

This is one of my favourite videos I have ever watched. I was able to learn so much, from the way you explained everything. I cannot find words to thank you enough for sharing this. Thank you so much.

[@kh884488]

Wow, not only is this highly informative and easy to understand, but excellent video production value too. Great job on making this video.

[@1000pollak]

Absolutely fascinating and beautifully illustrated. Grazie mille, dottore!

[@AnjaHuebel1]

That was absolutely fascinating. Thank you so much!

[@cristianr.brarda4912]

So richly done. Amazing video. And what a wonderful performance and demonstration by the tenor. Incredible, thanks!

[@throughawindow321]

Thank you for your very educational videos. As someone learning about music on her own, they're immensely useful and interesting.

[@yindioconnell1299]

Thank you so much for the work you do! It's very helpful

[@giorgiopacchioni]

Complimenti Elam, ho trovato particolarmente interessante e stimolante questo Movie, oltre al fatto che tutti i tuoi lavori sono di altissimo livello.

[@mcgreevs24]

This channel and channels like it are why KZbin is special. Thanks for all you do. ❤

[@thormusique]

A truly fascinating history ! Thank you for sharing. Incidentally, I think your composed falsobordone was quite a beautiful example of the technique. Bravo !

[@adamyourke]

That was incredible. I don’t know nothing about music theory but I sent riveted by your clear explanation and graphics. I think I actually followed most of that. I am so impressed though with your use of graphics. This piece should win some sort of documentary pedagogical award. Thank you very much. I can only imagine the hundreds and hundreds of hours that went into it.

[@MrKeithterrett]

Great videos Elam, love learning new stuff!

[@user-sf6td8xz5x]

I just found your page and now I love it!

[@riverwildcat1]

Thank you! Awesome discovery. Very well done, and helpful to those of us are far less knowledgeable.

[@BrendanCalliesComposer]

This is one of the best channels on KZbin, I hope you keep making these videos for a long time

[@glauceaquino5938]

Magnificent work!!! I learn a lot from you, thanks!!

[@rowlfpiano1853]

Great video! Thanks so much

[@Koyaanissparris]

Wow!! Wonderful video, the first one I've ever seen from this channel. I've sung "Allegri's" Miserere and though I'd been told that some of the ornaments were added from the "original" sheet music I had no idea that the whole famous high C part wasn't even supposed to be there! I also liked your explanation about falsobordorne and the singing at 08:00 was sublime!

[@monaraab6649]

Thanks Elam! This was highly informative and super interesting!

[@antonbruckner7329]

This is such a great channel

[@Sk-vh5ox]

The superb historical and textual background you provide is outstanding but on a diff note, I loved your accent and pronunciation. The way you spoke words like _faalsoborrdone_, _virtuosic_, _actual_ & _genre_ inter alia was medicinal. I tried to pronounce _genre_ like you did but I couldn't do it. And the whole video was made fabulously. The quality and presentation was superb with the voiceover and the visual in total coherence. Thanks a lot again for this video.

[@simonemammone9664]

One of the most interesting and well done video about music! Bravi!

[@erick-gd7wo]

Thank you for this enlightenment, in standard music history textbook these differences has never been explained *this concise and yet precise*

[@senecanzallanute4066]

Fascinating, thank you! Also, refreshingly good Italian and French pronunciation (with a lovely tinge of Hebrew). Love it.

[@pbdelmoral]

Incredible video, thank you!!!

[@mcburcke]

Great explanation! Well done.

[@TheMrKreee]

Amazing content! Thank you!

[@daniellevergara6552]

Wow, this is such an eye opener for me! :)

[@michaelweis4756]

Another short lecture, another masterpiece! I heart this channel so much....! Thanks for uploading and sharing!

[@KarenChungIvy]

Wonderful video. Thank you.

[@metteholm4833]

This is highly interesting - and yes, your own "falsobordone" is gorgeous! Thank you.

[@hugobruno]

Fascinating! I happened to listen to the Dumestre/Le Poème Harmonique recording the other day, and wondered why it was so different from the "classic" Tallis Scholars version I've enjoyed for decades haha! One of those odd coincidences that I would stumble upon your video so soon afterward that explains the issue :D Thank you very much for the excellent explanation!

[@whiskyngeets]

Beautiful and informative. Bravo.

[@noelplouffe6245]

Thank you Elam.

[@edwardswilliamsj]

Me encantó su video... Muchas gracias😊

[@eva4adam451]

I like the "wrong version" most. Thank you with a big smile.

[@bigogle]

What a thrilling and informative video. Thanks for enlightening us! I agree with other commentators that the transcription mistake is the piece's x-factor today.

[@bernhardkirchner5447]

Informative and eye opening!

[@trstquint7114]

Thank you so much for this clear explanation!!

[@Zaleskee]

Bravo!! Thank You for the Master Class!!

[@jamesball7381]

I just found this channel and I am glad.

[@danielbuyanov]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@Miguel-zp9yp]

Excellent! Thank you very much!

[@tamaradovgan5318]

Thank you so much for all your work: I learn a lot as I was trained as a pianist for many years....Thank you very much from Sankt Petersbourg.

[@cindycripps-prawak4641]

Love these historically musical vignettes.. Merci !

[@OscarCherici]

Fantastic video as always. Could you please make a video on the impact of the Concilio di Trento on the music scene (Italian and European)? Thank you and your team for these beautiful, useful and inspiring videos

[@PapagenoHannover]

Excellent work!

[@mrberryman]

Really, really well explained; thank you.

[@peterchun1521]

Amazing explanations... Thank you!

[@GoodSneakers]

Fantastic! Bravo!

[@katbullar]

Absolutely amazing

[@ugrasdurmus8704]

Woooooow, an excellent video... thank you ver much...

[@roxelanaorc4065]

Had the honour to be part of singing this mistake once. Truly special and awesome. Listening to the high part makes me forget my own part.... just beautiful. And like nothing else.

[@nilsfrederking62]

Thank you very much for this insightful video. The mentioned passage is so heavenly beautiful, that I really would miss it if the more original version would become standard. Maybe at the end it is fine to know about the error but perform it with it.

[@ginacrusco234]

As many have commented, the quality of your work is superb. I'm also a music educator and I can only aspire to emulate the clarity of your explanations. But I'll never compose a falsobordone like yours.

[@dianariverjackson5123]

I love this channel

[@fredhoupt4078]

WOW, that was so fascinating. I grew up listening to one particular recording of the Miserere on the radio, a British one probably from the 1960's (I would have to go in search for the recording). Anyway, it was always the same recording because the high treble voice was sung by a young boy who had an angelic voice range and it always made the hair on the back of your neck rise up and goosebumps on the body as well. Why tamper with such a sound? And the Mozart story you are now implying was probably not reliable? Oh no.....I would hope to hear more about that legend. Such an intellectually stimulating essay you have posted. Loved it.

[@EarlyMusicSources]

In the footnote page I included some links to performances. You might refer to this recording by The Choir of King's College / David Willcocks (1963) kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppqzmomkmb1qodk

[@fredhoupt4078]

@@EarlyMusicSources You know, that might be the recording I had heard so many times. What I had not noticed, if this is the one, is that it was sung in English; had never noticed that before. The version sung by Pro Cantione Antiqua is extraordinarily beautiful. I might be wrong but it seems to me that poor Allegri created such a phenomenal piece of music that the result over the centuries is that it alone eclipsed all the rest of his output. That's an injustice to his art but it just happened that way, I suppose.

[@dlevi67]

@@fredhoupt4078 Pachelbel and Canon in D, even worse... The Mozart story is almost certainly made up - at least according to modern biographies of Mozart.

[@fredhoupt4078]

@@dlevi67 unsure about your Pachelbel comment.

[@dlevi67]

@@fredhoupt4078 you said: "poor Allegri created such a phenomenal piece of music that the result over the centuries is that it alone eclipsed all the rest of his output." I said: "Pachelbel and Canon in D, even worse..." Does this explain what I meant?

[@tuxuhds6955]

הסבר ברור שמוגש באופן נעים גם להדיוט שכמותי. מעולה!

[@jefflokanata]

When I first time sing it as Bass, I leap from F# to C in the second part falsobordone . “Fancy, a tritone in renaissance music!”

[@ESBertrand0]

I absolutely loved watching this. Thank you for your thorough research and the care with which you presented the findings! Subscribed!

[@smihca]

Love your online-school! Very addictive, as learning could be, but too often is not.

[@emiliomini4024]

amazing video!

[@bifeldman]

Genius enlightens everything.

[@woodpeckercare5226]

Thank you sooooo much.

[@izanagi21ify]

This made me look at the famous Miserere in a different perspective. Thank you for this!

[@SrSlither]

Jacob Lawrence did a fascinating rendition of that psalm by Francesco Severi (8:00), which, as far as I've seen, hasn't ever been recorded before.

[@TheShadowPerson.]

Probably one of the most beautiful vocal pieces i've heard too.

[@barateza16]

The video creator doesn't seem to agree that it was great, but many people here (including me) liked it a lot.

[@danyelnicholas]

What is most interesting about it is the fact that the soloist sounds almost like a hazzan (Jewish cantor).

[@guitarslim56]

Damn! Nice work!

[@robris72]

Great video!

[@michaelperkins8078]

the mistake is amazing though

[@araksshahinyan8387]

Excellent!

[@adolfoclaudiolazary8539]

Buen trabajo , gracias , lo estoy estudiando a conciencia o sea probando en mí instrumento grabando las voces , variando Muchas gracias de nuevo.Saludos

[@andrebeller]

So so cool, thank you!

[@TOcheesehead]

What a wonderful historical circumstance to consider. Brings up all the best questions on composition, and what makes a composer. How much authorial credit should we now give to Rockstro for his version of the Miserere? Even accidental composition may still be composition if the result sticks around!

[@possummagic3571]

This is one of those videos that I find mind blowing but can share it with anyone. Because no one I know will appreciate it as much as I do.

[@malzola347]

Though I'm sure you are not short on ideas for videos on this magnificient series, let me suggest that one on 'In Domine' pieces would be quite interesting. Thanks for the awesome work.

[@filipefrancoafonso]

I checked Tenebrae Choir version and there's lots of people in the coment section talking how "angelical" is the top C hahahahahahahahahahahaha Thank you very much for your work. This is the most precious channel of KZbin. While I don't know italian this is where I can learn a lot. Greetings from amazonic Brazil