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 |
Sicut locutus est
|
|
Festa, Costanzo
c.1485-1490–1545
|
2 |
|
Sicut locutus est
|
|
Anon
|
3 |
|
Sicut malus inter ligna - Domine ante te omne desiderium
|
|
Moulu, Pierre
?1484–c.1550
|
3 |
|
Sicut mater consolatur
Pothárn Imre (Down a fourth)
Pothárn Imre (Down a minor third)
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
5 |
Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum v... (RISM L768)
Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae. Iam primum in lucem editae
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1562
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#23
|
|
Attrib: Orlando di Lassus |
|
Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum v... (RISM L779)
Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae iam primum in lucem editae
Nuremberg: Neuber, Ulrich and Berg, Johann, 1564
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#23
|
|
Attrib: Orlando di Lassus |
|
(D-Sl 30)
Stuttgart: Chamerhueber, Johann, c.1565
(Choirbook, MS)
#8
|
|
Attrib: Orlandus Lassus |
|
(D-AN VI g 14)
Ansbach, 1565
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#20
|
|
Attrib: Orlandus |
|
Sacrae cantiones (vulgo motecta appal... (RISM L785)
Sacrae cantiones (vulgo motecta appallatae) quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae. Liber primus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1565
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#21
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi Lassi |
|
Viginti quinque sacrae cantiones quin... (RISM L832)
Viginti quinque sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1570
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#23
|
|
Attrib: Orlando di Lassus |
|
Secundus liber modulorum quinis vocib... (RISM L847)
Secundus liber modulorum quinis vocibus constantium
Paris: Ballard, Robert (i) and Le Roy, Adrian, 1571
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#18
|
|
Attrib: Orlando Lassvsio |
|
Theatrum musicum Orlandi de Lassus, a... (RISM 1580/3)
Theatrum musicum Orlandi de Lassus, aliorumque praestantissimorum musicorum selectissimas cantiones sacras, quatuor, quinque & plurimum vocum, presentans. Liber primus
Geneva, 1580
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Orlande |
|
Fasciculi aliquot sacrarum cantionum ... (RISM L937)
Fasciculi aliquot sacrarum cantionum cum quatuor, quinque, sex & octo vocibus, antea quidem separatim excusi, nunc vero auctoris consensu in unum corpus redacti
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1582
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#65
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi Lassi |
|
Sacrae cantiones, vulgo motecta appel... (RISM L961)
Sacrae cantiones, vulgo motecta appellatae, quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1586
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#23
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi Lassi |
|
Fasciculi aliquot sacrarum cantionum ... (RISM L991)
Fasciculi aliquot sacrarum cantionum cum quatuor, quinque, sex 7 octo vocibus, antea quidem separatim excusi, nunc vero auctoris consensu in unum corpus redacti
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1589
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#65
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi Lassi |
|
Magnum opus musicum ... Complectens o... (RISM L1019)
Magnum opus musicum ... Complectens omnes cantiones quas motetas vulgo vocant, tam antea editas quam hactenus nondum publicatas II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. IIX. IX. X. XII. vocum a Ferdinando serenissimi bavariae ducis maximiliani musicorum praefecto, & Rudolpho, eidem Principi ab Organis; Authoris filiis summo studio collectum, & impensis eorundem Typis mandatum
Munich: Heinrich, Nikolaus, 1604
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#235
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
|
Sicut mater consolatur
|
|
Mortaro, Antonio
fl.1587–1610
|
3 |
|
Sicut mater consolatur
|
|
Nanino, Giovanni Maria
1543/1544–1607
|
8 |
|
Sicut mater consolatur
|
|
Tollius, Joannes
c.1550–after 1603
|
5 |
|
Sicut mater consolatur
|
|
Dalla Casa, Girolamo
d.1601
|
6 |
|
Sicut mater consolatur
|
|
Viadana, Lodovico
c.1540-1560–1627
|
2 |
|
Sicut Moses exaltavit serpentem
|
|
Dulichius, Philipp
1562–1631
|
5 |
|
Sicut Moyses exaltavit
|
|
Wanning, Johannes
1537–1603
|
5 |
|
Sicut Moyses exaltavit
|
|
Dressler, Gallus
1533–1580-1589
|
5 |
XC cantiones quatuor, quinque et plur... (RISM D3520)
XC cantiones quatuor, quinque et plurium vocum
Magdeburg: Kirchner, Wolfgang, 1570
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#25
|
|
Attrib: Galli Dreßleri |
|
Opus sacrarum cantionum, quatuor, qui... (RISM D3522)
Opus sacrarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque et plurium vocum, nunc denuo recognitum, et multo quam antea correctius in gratiam Musicorum editum
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Gerlach, Katharina, 1577
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#24
|
|
Attrib: Galli Dressleri Nebraei |
|
|
Sicut Moyses exaltavit
|
|
Gussago, Cesario
fl.1599–1612
|
3 |
|
Sicut novellae olivarum
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Sicut novellae olivarum - Beati omnes
|
|
Aichinger, Gregor
1564–1628
|
4 |
Solennia Augustissimi Corporis Christ... (RISM A533)
Solennia Augustissimi Corporis Christi, in sanctissimo sacrificio missae et in eusdem festi officiis, ac publicis supplicationibus seu processionibus cantari solita
Augsburg: Praetorius, Johann, 1606
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#4
|
|
Attrib: Gregorius Aichinger |
Antiphon and psalm |
|
Sicut novellas olivarum
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(I-TVd 5)
Treviso: d'Alessi, Giovanni, 1559-1572
(Choirbook, MS)
#20
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Thematic catalogue, first phrase only |
|
Sicut novelle olivarum
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(I-TVd 14)
Treviso, c.1560-1626
(Choirbook, MS)
#66
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Sicut ovis
|
Holy Saturday |
Gratiani, Bonifatio
1604-1605–1664
|
4 |
|
Sicut ovis
|
Holy Saturday |
Anerio, Giovanni Francesco
c.1567–1630
|
4 |
Responsoriae feriae quintae sextae, e... (I-Rn 152)
Responsoriae feriae quintae sextae, et Sabbathi in hebdomada sancta quatuor vocibus una cum duabus passionibus Matthej, et Joannis.
Rome, 1596
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#19
|
|
Attrib: Joanne Francisco Anerio Romano |
Holy Saturday: Tenebrae Nocturn I, 1 |
|
Sicut ovis
|
Holy Saturday |
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
4 |
Secunda pars continens officium Hebdo... (RISM A2553)
Secunda pars continens officium Hebdomadae Sanctae idest lamentationes, responsoria, et alia, quae officiis matutinalibus, ac in processione Feriae sextae concinuntur cum quatuor vocibus
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1584
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#26
|
|
Attrib: D. Io. Matthaeo Asula Veronensi |
Holy Saturday: Tenebrae Nocturn I, 1 |
|
Sicut ovis
|
Holy Saturday |
Anon
|
4 |
(D-Mbs 2747)
(Choirbook, MS)
#36
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Nocturn III, 1 |
|
Sicut ovis
|
Holy Saturday |
Anon
|
4 |
(I-Bc Q.132)
(Choirbook, MS)
#21
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Holy Saturday: Tenebrae Nocturn I, 1 |
|
Sicut ovis
|
(Responsory), Holy Saturday |
Bartei, Girolamo
c.1565–after 1617
|
4 |
|
Sicut ovis
Francis Bevan (SATBarB)
|
Holy Saturday |
Giacobetti, Pietro Amico
fl.1579–1616
|
5 |
Lamentationes cum omnibus responsorii... (RISM G1825)
Lamentationes cum omnibus responsoriis in Triduo Hebdomodae Sanctae nec non passiones in missis Dominica Palmarum & Parasceves quinis vocibus concinendae
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1601
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#26
|
|
Attrib: Pietro Amico Iacobetto |
Holy Saturday: Tenebrae Nocturn I, 1 |
|
Sicut ovis
|
Holy Saturday |
Corteccia, Francesco
1502–1571
|
4 |
|