The Polyphony Database
polyphonydatabase@gmail.com
About the database❯
PolyphonyDatabase.com is a detailed catalogue of early music sources designed to help musicians perform, academics study, and enthusiasts explore a vast and glorious repertoire quickly and easily. It aims to combine the practicality of CPDL with the academic rigour and ambition of the RISM census, to make use of similar projects where possible, and to directly combat the frustrations performing musicians have with all existing resources.
Its three main goals are:
- To assist performers, directors, and editors by cataloguing the contents of primary sources, source concordances, and basic information about how each piece of music can be performed.
- To provide a reliable starting point for academic research by linking to library catalogues, other existing databases, and facsimile images of early music manuscripts and prints.
- To provide a repository for properly sourced critical editions, performing scores, and recordings of as much of this music as possible, each carefully vetted for typesetting quality and accuracy, and made available for free download, so that this music might be discovered and appreciated by a wider audience.
The database was founded by Francis Bevan in 2014 as an outlet for his editing hobby and is regularly updated by him and a small team of enthusiasts. If you would like to contribute some cataloguing time, recordings or editions, submit corrections, commission an edition or just donate some cash, please get in touch with Francis via email: polyphonydatabase@gmail.com. Read more about the project's history at the 2018 Crowdfunder page.
The best way to help fund the project is to commission performing editions. New editions can be made quickly for as little as £10.
Understanding the clef images
A red clef means the voice is missing from this source. Where there are no concordances to fill in the gaps, this means the piece will require reconstruction.
A green clef means the voice is incomplete in this source. This might denote a fragment of a larger work, or a e.g. canonic voice that isn't written out in full.
A faded clef means much of the piece can be performed without this voice. For example, an extra 6th voice in the Agnus Dei of an otherwise 5vv Mass setting, or a short gimel in a big votive antiphon. Filtering by number of voices will exclude these clefs, while filtering by a specific voice combination will include them.
A blue clef denotes a voice that uses more than one clef in this source - this is particularly prevalent in earlier printed sources. We've estimated the larger clef on the left to be the most used to give an idea of voice distribution at a glance.
An X clef is used as a placeholder for voices we know are necessary, but haven't yet worked out which! This can be because there are no extant sources for a missing voice and no reconstruction has yet been attempted (it will normally become obvious which voice is missing once editing starts), or because we have catalogued a source from an incomplete facsimile that we know to be complete elsewhere.
Title |
Function(s) |
Composer |
# |
Sources |
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Festa, Costanzo
c.1485-1490–1545
|
3 |
Motetta trium vocum ab pluribus autho... (RISM 1543/6)
Motetta trium vocum ab pluribus authoribus composita
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1543
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#12
|
|
Attrib: Constantius Festa |
|
Elettione de motetti a tre voci libro... (RISM 1549/13)
Elettione de motetti a tre voci libro primo de diversi eccellentissimi musici composti, et non piu stampati, novamente posti in luce, et con gran diligenza coretti
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: Constantinus Festa |
|
Motetta trium vocum ab pluribus autho... (RISM 1551/3)
Motetta trium vocum ab pluribus authoribus composita
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1551
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#12
|
|
Attrib: Constantius Festa |
|
Selectissimarum sacrarum cantionum (q... (RISM 1569/5)
Selectissimarum sacrarum cantionum (quas vulgo Moteta vocant) flores, trium vocum: ex optimis ac praestantissimis quibusque divinae Musices authoribus excerptarum. Iam primum summa cura ac diligentia collecti et impressi. Liber secundus.
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1569
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#22
|
|
Attrib: Constantinus Festa |
|
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Court, Henri de la
d.1577
|
6 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Gombert, Nicolas
c.1495–c.1560
|
6 |
Secundus tomus novi operis musici, se... (RISM 1538/3)
Secundus tomus novi operis musici, sex, quinque et quatuor vocum, nunc recens in lucem editus
Nuremberg: Formschneider, Hieronymus, 1538
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
as O Jesu Christe succurre miseris |
Primus liber cum sex vocibus cum grat... (RISM 1539/3)
Primus liber cum sex vocibus cum gratia et privilegio mottetti del frutto a sei voci
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1539
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#17
|
|
Attrib: gombert |
|
Il primo libro de motetti a sei voce,... (RISM 1549/3)
Il primo libro de motetti a sei voce, da diversi accellentissimi musici composti, & non piu stampati novamente posti in luce, & con somma diligentia coretti
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#17
|
|
Attrib: Gombert |
|
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Morales, Cristóbal de
c.1500–1553
|
4 |
Moralis Hispani, et multorum eximiae ... (RISM 1543/5)
Moralis Hispani, et multorum eximiae artis virorum, musica cum vocibus quatuor, vulgo motecta cognominata
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1543
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Morales Hispani et multorum eximiae a... (RISM 1546/9)
Morales Hispani et multorum eximiae artis virorum musica cum vocibus quatuor vulgo motecta cognominata
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1546
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#8
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
(P-Cug 48)
Coimbra, c.1556-1559
(Score, MS)
#52
|
|
Attrib: Morales |
|
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Lhéritier, Jean
c.1480–after 1551
|
4 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Montemayor, Cristoforo
fl.1592
|
4 |
Liber primus cum octo sex et quinque ... (I-Rn 135)
Liber primus cum octo sex et quinque et quatuor vocibus composita per Christofory montemayor Hispanum Anno Dni 1593 ... Vesperi cum otto Della Madonna ... 1592
Rome, 1592-1593
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#18
|
|
Attrib: Cristoforo Montemayor |
|
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Zoilo, Annibale
c.1537–1592
Theophilo
|
8 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Anon
|
4 |
(GB-Lbl Royal-8-G-vii)
London: Alamire, Petrus, c.1513-c.1525
(Choirbook, MS)
#13
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Strus. O werde mondt in Tenor |
(B-Br 228)
Brussels, 1516-1523
(Choirbook, MS)
#23
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Savetta, Antonio
fl.1600–1641
|
5 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Gussago, Cesario
fl.1599–1612
|
3 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Osculati, Giulio
d. after 1615
|
7 |
Liber primus motectorum quinque, sex,... (RISM O140)
Liber primus motectorum quinque, sex, septem, octo, novem, decem, & duodecim vocum
Venice: Raverii, Alessandro, 1609
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Ivlio Oscvlato Lavdensi |
|
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
4 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
Francis Bevan (ATB)
|
BVM |
Metallo, Grammatio
c.1540–after 1615
|
3 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Viadana, Lodovico
c.1540-1560–1627
|
1 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris
|
BVM |
Anon
|
4 |
Thematic catalogue. MS destroyed in 1944 (I-TVd 18)
Treviso: d'Alessi, Giovanni, 1565-1568
(Choirbook, MS)
#19
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Thematic catalogue, first phrase only |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris - Beata dei genitrix
|
|
Anon
|
6 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris - Felix namque es
|
BVM |
Anon
|
5 |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris [II]
|
BVM |
Clemens non Papa, Jacobus
c.1510–1555/1556
|
5 |
Motetti del Laberinto a quatro voci L... (RISM 1554/15)
Motetti del Laberinto a quatro voci Libro Terzo. Sacrarum cantionum sive motettorum
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1554
(Partbook, Print)
#16
|
|
Attrib: Clemens |
Canon: Si ascendero in coelum tu illis es, Si descedero in Infernum ad es, |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris - Sentiant omnes tuum levamen
|
BVM |
Vento, Ivo de
1543-1545–1575
|
4 |
Liber mottetorum quatuor vocum, nunc ... (RISM V1116)
Liber mottetorum quatuor vocum, nunc primum in lucem editus
Munich: Berg, Adam, 1571
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Ivone de Vento |
|
(D-Sl 11)
Stuttgart: Chamerhueber, Johann, 1572
(Choirbook, MS)
#12
|
|
Attrib: De vento |
= Christe salvator succurre miseris - Sentiant omnes tuum iuvamen |
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris - Sentiant omnes tuum levamen
Nancho Alvarez
|
BVM |
Guerrero, Francisco
1528–1599
|
4 |
(E-SE 6)
(Choirbook, MS)
#2
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Motteta ... que partim quaternis, par... (RISM G4871)
Motteta ... que partim quaternis, partim quinis, alia senis, alia octonis concinuntur vocibus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1570
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#1
|
|
Attrib: Francisci Gverreri |
|
Motecta (RISM G4877)
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1597
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: Francisci Gverreri |
|
|
Sancta Maria succurre miseris - Sentiant omnes tuum levamen
|
BVM |
Reiner, Jacob
before 1560–1606
|
3 |
|
Sancta Maria virgo virginum
Francis Bevan (ATTBar.STTB)
|
BVM |
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
8 |
|
Sancta Maria virgo virginum
|
BVM |
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
4 |
Tertius tomus ecclesiasticarum cantio... (RISM P830)
Tertius tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a prima dominica post festum S. Trrinitatis, usque ad primam Dominicam Adventus Domini et Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi. His commune de Sanctis Ecclesiae Dei, et quaedam Fragmenta ex canticis Canticorum salomonis, accesserunt.
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich and Gerlach, Katharina, 1576
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#163
|
|
Attrib: Leonarto Pamingero |
|
|
Sancta Maria virgo virginum
|
BVM |
Knyght, Thomas
fl.1525–1550
|
4 |
|
Sancta Maria virgo virginum
|
BVM |
Prenner, Georg
d.1590
|
5 |
|