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 |
Vir iste in populo suo
|
|
Resinarius, Balthasar
c.1485–1544
|
4 |
Responsoriorum numero octoginta de te... (RISM R1196)
Responsoriorum numero octoginta de tempore et festis iuxta seriem totius anni, Libri duo, Primus de Christo, & reno eius, Doctrina, Vita, Passione, Resurretione & Ascensione. Alter, de sanctis, & illorum in Christum fide & Cruce
Wittenberg: Rhau, Georg, 1543
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#44
|
|
Attrib: Baltasare Resinario |
|
|
Viri timorati nolite flere
|
|
Ceresini, Giovanni
1584–1659
|
5 |
|
Vir linguosus non dirigetur in terra
|
|
Handl, Jacob (Gallus)
1550–1591
|
4 |
|
Vir quidem erat in Cesaria - Obstupuerunt autem
|
|
Potoletus, Claudius
|
6 |
Choirbook E (NL-Lml 1442)
Leiden: Blauwe, Anthonius de and Flamingus, Johannes, c.1550-c.1567
(Choirbook, MS)
#45
|
|
Attrib: C. potoletus |
|
|
Virtute magna
|
|
Gabrieli, Giovanni
c.1554–1612
|
12 |
|
Virtute magna
|
|
Rubini, Nicolò
1584–1625
|
6 |
|
Virtute magna reddebant apostoli
|
|
Trombetti, Ascanio
1544–1590
|
6 |
Il pimo libro de motetti accomodati p... (RISM T1277)
Il pimo libro de motetti accomodati per cantare & far Concerti A 5. 6. 7. 8. 10. & 12.
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1589
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Ascanio Trombetti |
|
Corollarium cantionum sacrarum quinqu... (RISM 1590/5)
Corollarium cantionum sacrarum quinque, sex, septem, octo, et plurium vocum de festis praecipuis anni
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1590
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#40
|
|
Attrib: Ascanii Trombetti |
|
|
Virtute magna reddebant Apostoli
|
|
Croce, Giovanni
c.1557–1609
|
4 |
|
Virtute magna reddebant Apostoli
|
|
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
4 |
Secundus tomus ecclesiasticarum canti... (RISM P829)
Secundus tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a passionem Domini et salvatoris nostri Jesu Christiu usque ad primam Dominicam post Festum S. Trinitatis
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1573
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#110
|
|
Attrib: Leonartum Pamingerum |
|
|
Virtute magna reddebant Apostoli
|
|
Rubini, Nicolò
1584–1625
|
6 |
|
Virtute magna reddebant Apostoli
|
|
Massaino, Tiburtio
before 1550–after 1608
|
4 |
|
Virtute magna reddebant Apostoli - Repleti sunt quidem spiritu sancto
|
|
Dorati, Nicolao
c.1513–1593
|
6 |
|
Virtute magna reddebant Apostoli - Repleti sunt quidem spiritu sancto
|
|
Conflicting attributions
|
4 |
Primus liber cum quatuor vocibus. Mot... (RISM 1532/10)
Primus liber cum quatuor vocibus. Motetti del fiore
Lyon: Moderne, Jacques, 1532
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#12
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Lib. decimus tertius. xviii. musicale... (RISM 1535/5)
Lib. decimus tertius. xviii. musicales habet modulos quatuor quinque vel sex vocibus editos
Paris: Attaingnant, Pierre, 1535
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: M. Lasson |
|
Symphoniae iucundae atque adeo breves... (RISM 1538/8)
Symphoniae iucundae atque adeo breves quatuor vocum, ab optimis quibusque musicis compositae, ac iuxta ordinem Tonorum dispositae, quas vulgo mutetas appellare solemus, numero quinquaginta duo
Wittenberg: Rhau, Georg, 1538
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#37
|
|
Attrib: Philippus Verdelot |
|
Primus liber cum quatuor vocibus fior... (RISM 1539/12)
Primus liber cum quatuor vocibus fior de mottetti tratti dalli mottetti del fiore
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1539
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Lasson |
|
Flos florum primus liber cum quatuor ... (RISM 1545/4)
Flos florum primus liber cum quatuor vocibus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1545
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Lasson |
|
Secundus tomus evangeliorum quatuor, ... (RISM 1555/10)
Secundus tomus evangeliorum quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum continens historias & doctrinam, quae in Ecclesia proponi solet: De Ascensione Christi. De Missione Spiritussancti
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1555
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#36
|
|
Attrib: Lasson |
|
(I-TVd 7)
Treviso, 1558-1571
(Choirbook, MS)
#8
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Mottetti del fiore a quattro voci nov... (RISM 1564/6)
Mottetti del fiore a quattro voci novamente ristampati, et con somma diligentia revisti et corretti libro primo
Venice: Rampazetto, Francesco, 1564
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Lasson |
|
|
Virtute magna reddebant Apostoli - Repleti sunt quidem spiritu sancto
|
|
Porta, Costanzo
c.1528–1601
|
4 |
|
Virtute magna - Repleti sunt quidem
|
|
Vento, Ivo de
1543-1545–1575
|
5 |
|
Virtute magna - Repleti sunt quidem
|
|
Rore, Cipriano de
1515/1516–1565
|
5 |
Musica quinque vocum que motteta mate... (RISM 1549/6)
Musica quinque vocum que motteta materna lingua moteta vocatantur...
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#21
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Sacrae cantiones quae dicuntur motect... (RISM R2478)
Sacrae cantiones quae dicuntur motecta cum quinque, sex, & septem vocibus
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1595
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Cypriani de Rore |
|
|
Virtute magna - Repleti sunt quidem
|
|
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da
c.1525–1594
|
5 |
|
Virtutum explusus terris
|
|
Stappen, Crispin van
c.1465–1532
|
4 |
|
Virum misericordiae
|
|
Bona, Valerio
c.1560–c.1620
|
6 |
|
Visionem quam vidistis
|
Transfiguration |
Bendinello, Agostino
c.1550–1598
|
5 |
|
Visionem quam vidistis
|
Transfiguration |
Lambardi, Girolamo
fl.1586–1623
|
4 |
|
Visitabo in virga
|
|
Bacchius, Johannes de
d.1557
|
5 |
Secunda pars magni operis musici cont... (RISM 1559/1)
Secunda pars magni operis musici continens clarissimorum symphonistarum tam veterum quam recentiorum, praecipe vero Clementis non Papae, Carmina elegantissima quinque vocum
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1559
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#95
|
|
Attrib: Ioannes de Bachi |
|
|
Visita quaesumus
|
|
Riccio, Teodore
c.1540–c.1600
|
6 |
Sacrae cantiones, quas vulgo motesta ... (RISM R1286)
Sacrae cantiones, quas vulgo motesta vocant, quinque, sex, et octo vocum, tum viva voca, tum etiam omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina and Gerlach, Dietrich, 1576
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#21
|
|
Attrib: Theodoro Riccio Brixiano |
|
|
Visita quaesumus Domine
David Fraser (SSAT)
The Cambridge Singers
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
4 |
Gradualia ac cantiones sacrae, quinis... (RISM B5218)
Gradualia ac cantiones sacrae, quinis, quaternis, trinisque vocibus concinnate Lib. Primus authoe Gulielmo Byrde, Organista Regio, Anglo Editio secunda, priore emendatior
London: Redmer, Richard, 1610
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#41
|
|
Attrib: Gulielmo Byrde |
|
|
Visita quaesumus Domine
|
|
Conflicting attributions
|
4 |
(GB-Lcm 2037)
London, 1527-1534
(Partbook, MS)
#42
|
|
Attrib: Jacquet |
|
(I-Bc Q.20)
Bologna, c.1530
(Partbook, MS)
#28
|
|
Attrib: Jaquet |
|
Liber cantus (vocum quatuor) triginta... (RISM 1538/5)
Liber cantus (vocum quatuor) triginta novem motetos habet, ut in sequenti indice demonstratur
Ferrara: Buglhat, Johannes de, Campis, Henrici de, and Hucher, Antonio, 1538
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Iacquet, Adrian Vuillart |
attrib. de Mantua in index, Willaert above music (previous piece is by Willaert) |
Motecta quatuor vocum... liber primus (RISM J9)
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1539
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Iachet |
|
Excellentissimi Iachet, musices illus... (RISM J10)
Excellentissimi Iachet, musices illustrissimi... quatuor vocum motecta...
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1544
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#8
|
|
Attrib: Iachet |
|
Motecta quatuor vocum ... Liber Primus (RISM J11)
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1545
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Iachet |
|
|