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 |
Bonum est confidere in Domino
|
|
Trombetti, Ascanio
1544–1590
|
7 |
|
Bonum est confidere in Domino [I]
|
|
Ratti, Lorenzo
1589/1590–1630
|
5 |
|
Bonum est confidere in Domino [II]
|
|
Ratti, Lorenzo
1589/1590–1630
|
5 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
3 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Buel, Christoph
1574–1631
|
8 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Bagni, Benedetto
fl.1608
|
8 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Belli, Girolamo
1552–c.1620
|
8 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Balbi, Lodovico
c.1545–1604
|
4 |
Ecclesiasticarum cantionum quatuor vo... (RISM B737)
Ecclesiasticarum cantionum quatuor vocum omnibus adventus dominicis, nec non Septuagesimae, Sexagesimae, Quinquegesimae, simul atque quibuscunque totius anni apportunitatibus deservientium
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1578
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Lvdovici Balbi Veneti |
|
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Merulo, Claudio
1533–1604
|
7 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Colombani, Oratio
c.1550–1595
|
9 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Anon
|
4 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
Francis Bevan (ATBarBarB)
Pothárn Imre
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da
c.1525–1594
|
5 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Vernizzi, Ottavio
1569–1649
|
8 |
Motectorum specimen, quae quinque, se... (RISM V1292)
Motectorum specimen, quae quinque, sex, septem, octo, novem, et decem vocibus concinuntur cum parte organi pro duplicis chori motectis. Liber Primus
Venice: Amadino, Ricciardo, 1603
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Octavii Vernitii Bononiensis |
|
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Zucchini, Gregorio
c.1540–after 1615
|
8 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Viadana, Lodovico
c.1540-1560–1627
|
3 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Rovetta, Giovanni
c.1595–1668
|
2 |
|
Bonum est confiteri Domino - In dechachordo psalterio
Francis Bevan (SATTB)
|
Ordinary Time 4 (Septuagesima) |
Gabrieli, Andrea
1532/1533–1585
|
5 |
Sacrae cantiones (vulgo motecta appel... (RISM G49)
Sacrae cantiones (vulgo motecta appellatae) quique vocum, tum viva voce, cum omnis generis Instrumentis cantatu commodissimae Liber Primus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1565
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Andreae Gabrielis |
|
Sacrae cantiones (Vulgo motecta appel... (RISM G51)
Sacrae cantiones (Vulgo motecta appellatae) quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae. Liber Primus
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1584
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Andreae Gabrielis |
|
|
Bonum est homini mulierem - Honorabile igitur inter omnes
|
|
Figulus, Wolfgang
c.1525–1589
|
8 |
Thesaurus musicus continens selectiss... (RISM 1564/1)
Thesaurus musicus continens selectissimas octo, septem, sex, quinque et quatuor vocum harmonias, tam a veteribus quam recentioribus Symphonistis compositas, et ad omnis generis instrumenta Musica accommodatas. Tomi primi continentis cantiones octo vocum
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1564
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#38
|
|
Attrib: VVolfgangus Figulus |
|
Cantionum sacrarum octo, sex, quinque... (RISM F721)
Cantionum sacrarum octo, sex, quinque, quatuor vocum, Primi toni: Decas prima
Frankfurt: Eichhorn, Johann, 1575
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: Vvolfgangi Figvli |
|
|
Bonum est homini mulierem - Honorabile igitur inter omnes
|
|
Walter, Johann
1496–1570
|
5 |
Cantiones triginta selectissimae. Qui... (RISM 1568/7)
Cantiones triginta selectissimae. Quinque. Sex. Septem: Octo: Dvodecim et plurium vocum, sub quatuor tantum, artificiose Musicis numeris a praesentissimis huius artis artificibus ornatae ac compositae.
Nuremberg: Neuber, Ulrich, 1568
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#22
|
|
Attrib: Ioannes Vualtherus |
Altera vox in Subdiapente post duoTempora/Altera vox in Hyperdiapente post tria tempora |
|
Bonum mihi prorsus deficere
|
|
Ratti, Lorenzo
1589/1590–1630
|
6 |
|
Bouche de satin cramoysi
|
|
Phinot, Dominique
c.1510–c.1556
|
4 |
|
Boute ly ty mesme de l'enclen que main
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Bow down thine ear O Lord
|
(Verse anthem) |
Anon
|
4 |
(GB-WO A.3.3)
Worcester, c.1660-c.1700
(Partbook/score, MS)
#117
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Browning
|
|
Woodcock, Clement
c.1540–1590
|
5 |
A booke of In nomines & other solfain... (GB-Lbl Add. 31390)
A booke of In nomines & other solfainge songes of 5,6,7,and 8 parts for voyces or Instrumentes
London: Woodcock, Clement, c.1578
(Tablebook, MS)
#104
|
|
Attrib: clement woodcocke |
|
Dow partbooks (GB-Och 984-988)
Oxford: Baldwin, John and Dow, Robert, c.1581-c.1588
(Partbook, MS)
#71
|
|
Attrib: Woodcock |
Instrumental |
|
Browning
Phantasm
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
5 |
(GB-Ob Mus.Sch.e.423)
Oxford, c.1575-1586
(Partbook, MS)
#70
|
|
Attrib: William Byarde |
|
A booke of In nomines & other solfain... (GB-Lbl Add. 31390)
A booke of In nomines & other solfainge songes of 5,6,7,and 8 parts for voyces or Instrumentes
London: Woodcock, Clement, c.1578
(Tablebook, MS)
#129
|
|
Attrib: mr byrde |
= The leaves be green |
(GB-Ob Tenbury 389)
Oxford, c.1580-1610
(Partbook, MS)
#45
|
|
Attrib: mr Byrde |
|
Dow partbooks (GB-Och 984-988)
Oxford: Baldwin, John and Dow, Robert, c.1581-c.1588
(Partbook, MS)
#70
|
|
Attrib: W. Byrde |
Instrumental |
McGhie MS (GB-DORmcghie)
Wimborne, c.1595-c.1613
(Partbook, MS)
#47
|
|
Attrib: Byrde |
|
|