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 |
Vivo sol di speranza
|
|
Perissone, Cambio
c.?1520–c.1562
|
4 |
|
Vivo sol di speranza
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
4 |
|
Vivo sol di speranza rimembrando
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Vivrai je tousjours en telle paine
|
|
Josquin Desprez
c.1450–1521
|
4 |
|
Vivray je tousjours en soucy
|
|
Sermisy, Claudin de
c.1490–1562
|
4 |
|
Vivre en espoir me convient desormais
|
|
Crecquillon, Thomas
c.1505–1557
|
5 |
|
Vivre ne puis content sans ma maistresse
|
|
Certon, Pierre
d.1572
|
4 |
|
Vivre ne puis content sans sa presence
|
|
Sermisy, Claudin de
c.1490–1562
|
4 |
|
Vivre ne puis sur terre
|
|
Pevernage, Andreas
1542/1543–1591
|
6 |
|
Vivre ne puis sur terre car mort
|
|
Wisme, Nicholas de
fl.1554–1564
|
6 |
|
Vivre ne puis sur terre [I]
|
|
Gerarde, Derrick
fl.c.1540–1580
|
5 |
|
Vivre ne puis sur terre [II]
|
|
Gerarde, Derrick
fl.c.1540–1580
|
5 |
|
Vivre ou mourir
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Vivr'il me faut
|
|
Beaulaigue, Barthélemy
c.1543–fl.1555
|
4 |
|
Vivrò dunque lontano
|
|
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
6 |
Il quinto libro de madrigali a sei vo... (RISM M515)
Il quinto libro de madrigali a sei voci. Novamente dato in luce
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1591
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Luca Marenzio |
|
Musica Transalpina. The Second Booke ... (RISM 1597/24)
Musica Transalpina. The Second Booke of Madrigalles, to 5. and 6. voices: translated out of sundrie Italian Authors...
London: Yonge, Nicholas, 1597
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#19
|
|
Attrib: Luca Marenzio |
as Shall I live so far distant |
Sambrook book (US-NYp Drexel 4302)
London: Tregian, Francis (ii), 1613-1619
(Score, MS)
RISM
#98
|
|
Attrib: Marenzio |
|
|
Vivrò fra i miei tormenti - Ma dove o lasso me dove restaro - Io pur verrò la dove sete
|
|
Monteverdi, Claudio
1567–1643
|
5 |
|
Vixi
|
|
East, Michael
c.1580–1648
|
5 |
The Third Set of Bookes: Wherein are ... (RISM E6)
The Third Set of Bookes: Wherein are Pastorals, Anthemes, Neopolitanes, Fancies, and Madrigales, to 5. and 6. parts: Apt both for Viols and Voyces.
London: Snodham, Thomas, 1610
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Michaell Easte |
Instrumental fancy |
|
Vix puellis nuper idoneus - Laevum marinae qui Veneris latus - O quae beatum diva tenes Cyprum
|
|
Maistre Jhan
c.1485–1538
|
4 |
(GB-Lcm 2037)
London, 1527-1534
(Partbook, MS)
#22
|
|
Attrib: Maistre Jan |
|
|
Vobis datum est
|
|
Wanning, Johannes
1537–1603
|
5 |
|
Vobis datum est
|
|
Lambardi, Girolamo
fl.1586–1623
|
4 |
Antiphonae omnes iuxta ritum Romani b... (RISM L367b)
Antiphonae omnes iuxta ritum Romani breviarii pro totius anni dominicis diebus in primis, & secundis vesperis nunc primum ... Secunda pars
Venice: Caenobio Sancti Spiritus, 1600
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#44
|
|
Attrib: Hieronymo Lambardo |
|
|
Vobis datum est nosse mysteria - Semen quod cecidit in terram
|
|
Otto, Georg
1550–1618
|
6 |
|
Voca operatios et redde illis - Sic novissimi erunt primi
|
|
Otto, Georg
1550–1618
|
6 |
|
Vocatus Joseph ad caelestes nuptias - Introducit Jesus in caelum suum nutritium
|
|
Garugli, Bernardo
1535–after 1565
|
5 |
|
Vocavit me Dominus nomine meo
|
|
Garugli, Bernardo
1535–after 1565
|
5 |
|
Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi
|
|
Bassano, Giovanni
c.1561–1617
|
5 |
Concerti ecclesiastici a cinque, sei,... (RISM B1234)
Concerti ecclesiastici a cinque, sei, sette, otto, & dodeci voci di Giovanni Bassano musico della Sereniss. Signoria di Venetia, et Maestro di Musica del Seminario di San Marco. Libro Secondo
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1599
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#4
|
|
Attrib: Giovanni Bassano |
|
|