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 |
Combien que j'ay doleur vehemente
|
|
Doublet, Jean
|
4 |
|
Come again fair nature's treasure
|
|
Johnson, Edward
fl.1572–1601
|
5 |
|
Come blessed bird
|
|
Johnson, Edward
fl.1572–1601
|
6 |
The Triumphes of Oriana, to 5. and 6.... (RISM 1601/16)
The Triumphes of Oriana, to 5. and 6. voices: composed by divers seuerall aucthors. Newly published by Thomas Morley Batcheler of Musick, and one of the gentlemen of her Maiesties honorable Chappell.
London: East, Thomas and Morley, Thomas, 1601
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#25
|
|
Attrib: Edward Iohnson |
|
|
Come Charon come
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
(US-NYp Drexel 4180-4185)
New York: Merro, John, 1600-1650
(Partbook, MS)
#77
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Come che'l biancho cigno
|
|
Cara, Marchetto
c.1465–1525
|
4 |
|
Come, clap thy hands - Phillis hath sworn
|
|
Weelkes, Thomas
1576–1623
|
5 |
Balletts and madrigals to five voyces... (RISM W481)
Balletts and madrigals to five voyces, with one to 6. voyces newly published.
London: East, Thomas, 1598
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Weelkes |
|
(US-NYp Drexel 4180-4185)
New York: Merro, John, 1600-1650
(Partbook, MS)
#178
|
|
Attrib: mr wilkes |
|
|
Come come lets begin
|
|
Weelkes, Thomas
1576–1623
|
3 |
|
Comedetis carnes
|
|
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
Wittenburg: Rhau, Georg, 1543
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#36
|
|
Attrib: Baltasare Resinario |
|
|
Comedetis carnes - Non moyses dedit vobis panem de caelo
|
|
Moreau, Simon
fl.1553–1558
|
5 |
Liber decimus ecclesiasticarum cantio... (RISM 1555/8)
Liber decimus ecclesiasticarum cantionum quinque vocum vulgo moteta vocant, tam ex Veteri quam ex Novo Testamento, ab optimis quibusque huius aetatis musicis compositarum unius toni omnes antea nunquam axcusus
Antwerp: Susato, Tylman, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
#8
|
|
Attrib: Symon moreau |
Ioannis Sexto |
Sacrarum cantionum (vulgo hodie motet... (RISM 1556/7)
Sacrarum cantionum (vulgo hodie moteta vocant) quinque & sex vocum, ad veram harmoniam concentiumque ab optimis quibusque musicis, in philomusorum gratiam compositarum. Liber quintus
Antwerp: Waelrant, Hubert and Laet, Jean de, c.1556
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Moreau |
|
|
Com' e divers' e strano
|
|
Corteccia, Francesco
1502–1571
|
5 |
|
Com'e dolce il gioire
|
|
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
5 |
|
Come esser puo che ne la vostra mente - Se cio non basta a voi
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
5 |
|
Come falda di neve, che agghi acciata
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
7 |
|
Come fido animal ch'al suo signore - Cosi temedo di madonna l'ire
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
5 |
|
Come fra verd'herbette
|
|
Casulana, Maddalena
c.1544–c.1590
|
4 |
|
Come fuggir per selva ombrosa e folta
|
|
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
#4
|
|
Attrib: Luca Marenzio |
|
Sambrook book (US-NYp Drexel 4302)
London: Tregian, Francis (ii), 1613-1619
(Score, MS)
RISM
#118
|
|
Attrib: Marenzio |
|
|
Come gentle swains
|
|
Cavendish, Michael
c.1565–1628
|
5 |
The Triumphes of Oriana, to 5. and 6.... (RISM 1601/16)
The Triumphes of Oriana, to 5. and 6. voices: composed by divers seuerall aucthors. Newly published by Thomas Morley Batcheler of Musick, and one of the gentlemen of her Maiesties honorable Chappell.
London: East, Thomas and Morley, Thomas, 1601
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#12
|
|
Attrib: Michaell Cavendish |
|
|
Come havrà vita amor
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
6 |
|
Come havra vita amor la vita mia
|
|
Anon
|
6 |
|
Come havro dunqu'il frutto
|
|
Brumen, Denis
fl.1530–1540
|
5 |
|
Come help O God
David Fraser (SSATB)
Quink Vocal Ensemble
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
5 |
The tears or lamentacions of a sorrow... (RISM 1614/7)
The tears or lamentacions of a sorrowfull soul: composed with musicall ayres and songs, both for voyces and divers instruments
London: Stansby, William, 1614
(Tablebook, Print)
RISM
#53
|
|
Attrib: William Byrde |
|
|
Come Holy Ghost
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
|
Come, Holy Ghost, eternal God
|
|
Parsons, William
fl.1545–1563
|
4 |
Chirk Castle Partbooks (US-NYp Mus. Res. *MNZ (Chirk) [1-4])
Wrexham, c.1618-c.1633
(Partbook, MS)
RISM
#29
|
|
Attrib: mr William persons |
|
|
Come Holy Ghost, the Maker, come
|
|
Gibbons, Orlando
1583–1625
|
2 |
|
Come il candido pie - E con l'andar
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
5 |
|