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 |
Aestimatus sum
|
(Responsory), Holy Saturday |
Gesualdo, Carlo
1566–1613
|
6 |
|
Aestimatus sum
|
(Responsory), Holy Saturday |
Morata, Ginés de
|
4 |
(P-VV 3)
(Choirbook, MS)
#13
|
|
Attrib: Gines de morata |
|
(P-VV 4)
Vila Viçosa
(Choirbook, MS)
#21
|
|
Attrib: Morata |
|
|
Aestimatus sum
|
(Responsory), Holy Saturday |
Zoilo, Annibale
c.1537–1592
|
4 |
|
Aestimatus sum
|
(Responsory), Holy Saturday |
Anon
|
4 |
|
Aestimatus sum
|
(Responsory), Holy Saturday |
Ingegneri, Marco Antonio
c.1535–1592
|
4 |
Responsoria Hebdomadae Sanctae, bened... (RISM I45)
Responsoria Hebdomadae Sanctae, benedictus, & improperia quatuor vocibus
Venice: Amadino, Ricciardo, 1588
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#26
|
|
Attrib: Marci Antonii Ingignerii |
Holy Saturday, Nocturn 3: 2 |
(A-Wn 15943)
Vienna: Moser, Georg, c.1600-c.1699
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#30
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Holy Saturday, Nocturn 3: 2 |
|
Aestimatus sum
|
Holy Saturday |
Viadana, Lodovico
c.1540-1560–1627
|
4 |
Responsoria ad lamentationes hieremia... (RISM V1391)
Responsoria ad lamentationes hieremiae prophetae quae in maioris hebdomadae officiis concinuntur cum quatuor vocibus
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1609
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#30
|
|
Attrib: Lvdovico Viadana |
|
|
Aestimatus sum
|
Holy Saturday |
Croce, Giovanni
c.1557–1609
|
8 |
Responsoria hebdomadae sanctae, psalm... (RISM 1612/2)
Responsoria hebdomadae sanctae, psalmi, benedictus, et miserere una cum missa, ac vesperis sabbati sancti in octo vocum concentum redacta, simulquae basso generali pro organo
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1612
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#27
|
|
Attrib: Eiusdem |
|
|
Aestimatus sum
Francis Bevan (SATBarB)
|
(Responsory), Holy Saturday |
Nenna, Pomponio
1556–1608
|
5 |
Sacrae Hebdomadae Responsoria quae Fe... (RISM N381)
Sacrae Hebdomadae Responsoria quae Feria quinta in coena Domini Feria sexta in Parasceve, & Sabbato sancto ad Matutinas quinque vocibus concinuntur cum basso ad organum
Rome: Robletti, Giovanni Battista, 1622
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#26
|
|
Attrib: Pomponii Nennae |
Holy Saturday: Tenebrae Nocturn III, 2 |
|
Aestimatus sum
|
Holy Saturday |
Falusi, Michele Angelo
fl.1683–1684
|
4 |
Responsoria Hebdomadis Sanctae una cu... (RISM F93)
Responsoria Hebdomadis Sanctae una cum Benedictus, Miserere, ac antiphonis quatuor vocibus cum organo auctore P. Mag. Fr. Michaele Angelo Falusi Romano
Rome: Mascardi, 1654
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#31
|
|
Attrib: Michaele Angelo Falusi |
|
|
Aeterna Christi munera
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
(Mex-Pc 12)
Puebla
(Choirbook, MS)
#2
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Aeterna Christi munera
|
|
Anon
|
3 |
|
Aeterna mundi serie - Tres sunt in throno gloriae
|
Trinity |
Anon
|
7 |
|
Aeterne gratias
|
|
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
#145
|
|
Attrib: Leonarto Pamingero |
|
|
Aeterne laudis lilium
Francis Bevan (SATTB)
|
|
Fayrfax, Robert
1464–1521
|
5 |
Carver choirbook aka Scone antiphonary (GB-En Adv-5-1-15)
c.1502-1546
(Choirbook, MS)
#21
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
(GB-Cjc 234 (K.31))
Cambridge, c.1525-c.1530
(Partbook, MS)
#6
|
|
Attrib: ffayrfax |
|
(GB-Cu Dd.13.27)
Cambridge, c.1525-c.1530
(Partbook, MS)
#6
|
|
Attrib: ffayrfax |
|
Lambeth Choirbook aka Arundel Choirbook (GB-Llp 1)
Higgons, Edward, 1525-1530
(Choirbook, MS)
#13
|
|
Attrib: ffeyrfax |
|
Peterhouse Partbooks (Henrician Set) (GB-Cp 31-32,40-41)
Cambridge, c.1539-c.1541
(Partbook, MS)
#54
|
|
Attrib: Ffayrefax |
|
(GB-Ob Tenbury 1464)
Oxford, c.1575
(Partbook, MS)
#20
|
|
Attrib: Docter fayrfax |
|
|
Aeterne mentis oculo
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(I-MOd III)
Modena: Monte Regali, Eustachius de, 1520-1530
(Choirbook, MS)
#33
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Aeterne rex altissime
|
Ascension |
Conflicting attributions
|
5 |
Baldwin partbooks (GB-Och 979-983)
Windsor: Baldwin, John, c.1575-c.1581
(Partbook, Print/MS)
#79
|
|
Attrib: mr shepperd |
|
(GB-Ob Tenbury 341-344)
Oxford, c.1600-c.1650
(Partbook, MS)
#35
|
|
Attrib: Mr Tallis |
This piece, not its predecessor Deus tuorum militum [II], holds the (erroneous) ascription to Tallis |
|
Aeterne rex altissime
|
Ascension |
Anon
|
5 |
|
Aeterni sincera
|
|
Hassler, Hans Leo
1564–1612
|
8 |
Sacri concentus quatuor, 5, 6, 7, 8, ... (RISM H2328)
Sacri concentus quatuor, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 12, Vocum
Augsburg: Schönigk, Valentin, 1601
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#39
|
|
Attrib: Ioanne Leone Haslero |
|
|
Aeternus vere est solus Deus
|
|
Hassler, Hans Leo
1564–1612
|
6 |
Sacri concentus quatuor, 5, 6, 7, 8, ... (RISM H2328)
Sacri concentus quatuor, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 12, Vocum
Augsburg: Schönigk, Valentin, 1601
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#26
|
|
Attrib: Ioanne Leone Haslero |
|
|
A feigned friend
David Fraser (SSAT)
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
4 |
Psalmes, Songs, and Sonnets: some sol... (RISM B5221)
Psalmes, Songs, and Sonnets: some solemne, others joyfull, framed to the life of the Words: Fit for Voyces or Viols of 3. 4. 5. and 6. Parts
London: Barley, William and Snodham, Thomas, 1611
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: William Byrd |
|
|
Affections strong that do move us
|
|
Whythorne, Thomas
1528–1596
|
2 |
|
Affer Domine auxilium
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
(I-TVd 5)
Treviso: d'Alessi, Giovanni, 1559-1572
(Choirbook, MS)
#24
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Thematic catalogue, first phrase only |
|
Afferentur regi virgines
|
Comm. Virgins |
Canale, Floriano
fl.1579–1603
|
4 |
|
Afferentur regi virgines
Francis Bevan (ATBarBarB)
Pothárn Imre
|
Comm. Virgins |
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da
c.1525–1594
|
5 |
|
Affer opem miserate Deus
|
|
Lange, Gregor
c.1540–1587
|
5 |
|