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 |
Si d'ung petit de vostre bien ma dame
|
|
Janequin, Clément
c.1485–after 1558
|
4 |
|
Si d'ung seul mal amour en a faict deux
|
|
Villiers, Pierre de
fl.c.1532–1550
|
4 |
|
Si du proces d'amour n'ay recreance
|
|
Coste, Gabriel
fl.1538–1543
|
4 |
|
Sidus ex claro - Qui maris terrae
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
5 |
(D-Mbs 24)
Munich, c.1555-c.1580
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Cantiones aliquot quinque vocum, tum ... (RISM L820)
Cantiones aliquot quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae
Munich: Berg, Adam, 1569
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Orlando di Lassus |
|
Primus liber modulorum quinis vocibus... (RISM L845)
Primus liber modulorum quinis vocibus constantium
Paris: Ballard, Robert (i) and Le Roy, Adrian, 1571
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Orlando Lassvsio |
|
Theatri musici selectissimas Orlandi ... (RISM 1580/4)
Theatri musici selectissimas Orlandi de Lassus aliorumque praestantissimorum musicorum cantiones sacras, quatuor, quinque & plurimum vocum, repraesentantis Liber secundus
Geneva, 1580
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#24
|
|
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
#58
|
|
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
#58
|
|
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
#160
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
|
Si è debile il filo
|
|
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da
c.1525–1594
|
4 |
|
Si è debile il filo
|
|
Tromboncino, Bartolomeo
1470–after1534
|
4 |
|
Si e debil il fil a cui s'attenne
|
|
Wert, Giaches de
1535–1596
|
5 |
|
Si e debil' il filo
|
|
Wert, Giaches de
1535–1596
|
5 |
|
Siede negl' occhi amore d'Uranio et arde ad Amaranta il cor
|
|
Bertani, Lelio
1553/1554–1612
|
6 |
Sambrook book (US-NYp Drexel 4302)
London: Tregian, Francis (ii), 1613-1619
(Score, MS)
RISM
#230
|
|
Attrib: Lelio Bertani |
|
|
Si ego non abiero
|
|
Massaino, Tiburtio
before 1550–after 1608
|
4 |
|
Siehe wie fein und lieblich
|
|
Figulus, Wolfgang
c.1525–1589
|
8 |
|
Siehe wie fein und lieblich
|
|
Dressler, Gallus
1533–1580-1589
|
8 |
|
Sie ist die sich helt gebürlich
|
|
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
4 |
|
Si enim credimus
|
|
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
#90
|
|
Attrib: Leonarto Pamingero |
|
|
Si enim credimus - Et sicut in Adam omnes moriuntur - Requiem aeternam
|
|
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
5 |
|
Si en mes mains as liberté rendue
|
|
Nicolas, ?Guillaume
fl.1533–1578
|
4 |
|
Si envieulx et faulx raportz
|
|
Villiers, Pierre de
fl.c.1532–1550
|
4 |
|
Siepi ch'el bel giardin
|
|
Viola, Francesco
d.1568
|
4 |
Madrigali de la fama a quatro voci co... (RISM 1548/7)
Madrigali de la fama a quatro voci composti da l'infrascritti autori, novamente con diligentia stampati & corretti. Cypriano De Rore, Francesco Da la Viola, Francesco Manara
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1548
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#17
|
|
Attrib: Francesco Da la Viola |
|
|
Si ergo offers munus
|
|
Homo, Sebastian
|
5 |
|
Si est-ce que Dieu est tres-doux
|
|
Goudimel, Claude
1514-1520–1572
|
4 |
|
Siette milagros dexò l'art' humana
|
|
Portinaro, Francesco
c.1520–after 1577
|
5 |
Il Desiderio Secondo libro de madriga... (RISM 1566/3)
Il Desiderio Secondo libro de madrigali a cinque voci, de diversi auttori, novamente posti in luce, per Giulio Bonagionta da S. Genesi
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo and Bonagionta, Giulio, 1566
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#17
|
|
Attrib: Francesco Portinaro |
|
|
Si Fortune m'a ce bien purchasé
|
|
Anon
|
3 |
|
Si froid et chaud
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
4 |
Nouvelles chansons a quatre parties, ... (RISM L798)
Nouvelles chansons a quatre parties, au quels sont vingt & sept chansons composées par M. Orlando di Lassus. Convenables tant a la voix comme aux instruments. Le premier livre
Antwerp: Laet, Jean de, 1566
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#19
|
|
Attrib: Orlando di Lassus |
= Si froid et chault |
Premier livre des chansons a quatre e... (RISM 1570/5)
Premier livre des chansons a quatre et cincq parties, composées par Orlando di Lassus, Cyprian de Rore, Et de nouveau plus correctement que cy devant imprimées & emendées, Convenables tant aux Instruments comme à la voix
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1570
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Orlando di Lassus |
|
Mellange d'Orlande de Lassus, contena... (RISM L834)
Mellange d'Orlande de Lassus, contenant plusieurs chansons, tant en vers latins qu'en ryme francoyses. A quatre, cinc, six, huit, dix, parties
Paris: Ballard, Robert (i) and Le Roy, Adrian, 1570
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#40
|
|
Attrib: Orlande |
|
|
Sì gioioso mi fanno i dolor miei
|
|
Gesualdo, Carlo
1566–1613
|
5 |
Madrigali a cinque voci [libro primo] (RISM G1721)
Ferrara: Baldini, Vittorio and Stella, Scipione, 1594
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Signasti Domine
Nancho Alvarez
|
St Francis |
Guerrero, Francisco
1528–1599
|
5 |
Mottecta que partim quaternis partim ... (RISM G4875)
Mottecta que partim quaternis partim quinis alia senis alia octonis concinuntur vocibus. Liber secundus.
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1589
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#26
|
|
Attrib: Francisci Gverreri |
|
Motecta (RISM G4877)
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1597
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#52
|
|
Attrib: Francisci Gverreri |
|
|