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 |
Clare sanctorum senatus apostolorum
|
|
Isaac, Heinrich
c.1450–1517
|
4 |
(RISM I91)
1555
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Henrici Isaac |
Sequence for common of an Apostle |
|
Clare sanctorum senatus apostolorum
|
|
Thérache, Pierrequin de
c.1470–1528
|
4 |
|
Clare sanctorum senatus apostolorum
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(D-Ju 33)
Jena, c.1500-c.1520
(Choirbook, MS)
#61
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Sequence for Comm. Apostles |
|
Clare sanctorum senatus apostolorum - Agneli vellere
|
|
Sermisy, Claudin de
c.1490–1562
|
4 |
|
Clare sanctorum senatus apostolorum [II]
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(D-Ju 33)
Jena, c.1500-c.1520
(Choirbook, MS)
#68
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Sequence for Comm. Apostles |
|
Clare sanctorum senatus apostolorum - Thoma Bartholomaee
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
5 |
Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum v... (RISM L768)
Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae. Iam primum in lucem editae
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1562
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#22
|
|
Attrib: Orlando di Lassus |
|
Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum v... (RISM L779)
Sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae iam primum in lucem editae
Nuremberg: Neuber, Ulrich and Berg, Johann, 1564
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#22
|
|
Attrib: Orlando di Lassus |
|
Sacrae cantiones (vulgo motecta appal... (RISM L785)
Sacrae cantiones (vulgo motecta appallatae) quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae. Liber primus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1565
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#18
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi Lassi |
|
Viginti quinque sacrae cantiones quin... (RISM L832)
Viginti quinque sacrae cantiones quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1570
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#22
|
|
Attrib: Orlando di Lassus |
|
Primus liber modulorum quinis vocibus... (RISM L845)
Primus liber modulorum quinis vocibus constantium
Paris: Ballard, Robert (i) and Le Roy, Adrian, 1571
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#19
|
|
Attrib: Orlando Lassvsio |
|
Fasciculi aliquot sacrarum cantionum ... (RISM L937)
Fasciculi aliquot sacrarum cantionum cum quatuor, quinque, sex & octo vocibus, antea quidem separatim excusi, nunc vero auctoris consensu in unum corpus redacti
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1582
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#64
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi Lassi |
|
Sacrae cantiones, vulgo motecta appel... (RISM L961)
Sacrae cantiones, vulgo motecta appellatae, quinque vocum, tum viva voce, tum omnis generis instrumentis cantatu commodissimae
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1586
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#22
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi Lassi |
|
Fasciculi aliquot sacrarum cantionum ... (RISM L991)
Fasciculi aliquot sacrarum cantionum cum quatuor, quinque, sex 7 octo vocibus, antea quidem separatim excusi, nunc vero auctoris consensu in unum corpus redacti
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1589
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#64
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi Lassi |
|
Magnum opus musicum ... Complectens o... (RISM L1019)
Magnum opus musicum ... Complectens omnes cantiones quas motetas vulgo vocant, tam antea editas quam hactenus nondum publicatas II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. IIX. IX. X. XII. vocum a Ferdinando serenissimi bavariae ducis maximiliani musicorum praefecto, & Rudolpho, eidem Principi ab Organis; Authoris filiis summo studio collectum, & impensis eorundem Typis mandatum
Munich: Heinrich, Nikolaus, 1604
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#203
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
|
Clare sanctorum senatus apostolorum - Thoma Bartholomaee
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Claritas Domini
|
|
Vincentius, Caspar
c.1580–1624
|
8 |
|
Clarus doctor et lux fideli
|
|
Infantas, Fernando de las
1534–c.1610
|
5 |
|
Classica pulsa satis
|
|
Donato, Baldassare
1529–1603
|
5 |
|
Claudite me divini fructus
|
|
Vernizzi, Ottavio
1569–1649
|
2 |
|
Clavos pedum plagas duras
|
|
Aichinger, Gregor
1564–1628
|
4 |
|
Clemens et benigna
|
|
Clemens non Papa, Jacobus
c.1510–1555/1556
|
6 |
|
Clemens mihi Jehova sis
|
|
Crappius, Andreas
c.1542–1623
|
5 |
|
Clementissime Christi confessor - Sancte pater Egidi
|
|
Morales, Cristóbal de
c.1500–1553
|
4 |
Moralis Hispani, et multorum eximiae ... (RISM 1543/5)
Moralis Hispani, et multorum eximiae artis virorum, musica cum vocibus quatuor, vulgo motecta cognominata
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1543
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Morales Hispani et multorum eximiae a... (RISM 1546/9)
Morales Hispani et multorum eximiae artis virorum musica cum vocibus quatuor vulgo motecta cognominata
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1546
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
(P-Cug 48)
Coimbra, c.1556-1559
(Score, MS)
#64
|
|
Attrib: Morales |
|
|
Clementissime Deus - Tu que sacer Hieronime
|
|
Maistre Jhan
c.1485–1538
|
5 |
Thematic catalogue. MS destroyed in 1944 (I-TVd 30)
Treviso: d'Alessi, Giovanni, c.1570
(Partbook, MS)
#13
|
|
Attrib: Metre Jan |
Thematic catalogue, first phrase only |
|
Clio chantons disertement - Du peuple aussi - Chantons aussi l'honneur
|
|
Pevernage, Andreas
1542/1543–1591
|
6 |
|
Clodia quem genuit - Ipse et castalio charites
|
|
Zarlino, Gioseffo
1517–1590
|
5 |
|
Clori a Damon dicea
|
|
Gabrieli, Andrea
1532/1533–1585
|
6 |
|
Clori mia Clori dolce
|
|
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
5 |
|
Clori mia pastorella
|
|
Gastoldi, Giovanni Giacomo
c.1554–1609
|
5 |
|
Clori mi diede un bacio
|
|
Gostena, Giovanni Battista dalla
c.1558–1593
|
5 |
|
Clorinda
|
|
Morley, Thomas
1557/1558–1602
|
4 |
|
Clori nel mio partire
|
|
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
5 |
|
Cloris when as I woe
|
|
Tomkins, Thomas
1572–1656
|
5 |
|