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 |
Credidi
|
|
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
#8
|
|
Attrib: Michaell Easte |
Instrumental fancy |
|
Credidi
quinti toni
|
|
Navarro, Juan
c.1530–1580
|
4 |
(P-VV 2)
(Choirbook, MS)
#14
|
|
Attrib: Navarro |
|
Psalmi hymn ac magnificat totius anni... (RISM N283)
Psalmi hymn ac magnificat totius anni secundum ritum Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae quatuor quinque ac sex vocibus concinendi necnon Beatae Virginis Dei genitricis Mariae diversorum temporum antiphonae in finem horarum dicendae
Rome: Coattino, Francesco, 1590
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Ioannis Nauarro |
|
|
Credidi propter
|
|
Fogliano, Giacomo
|
4 |
(I-MOd XI)
Modena: Vecchi, Orazio, c.1520-c.1599
(Choirbook, MS)
#12
|
|
Attrib: Jacobus fo. organista |
|
|
Credidi propter
tertii toni
|
|
Isnardi, Paolo
1536–1596
|
4 |
|
Credidi propter
tertii toni
|
|
Massaino, Tiburtio
before 1550–after 1608
|
8 |
|
Credidi propter
octavi toni
|
|
Trabaci, Giovanni Maria
c.1575–1647
|
4 |
|
Credidi propter
sexti toni
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Credidi propter locutus sum
|
|
Riccio, Teodore
c.1540–c.1600
|
8 |
|
Credidi propter locutus sum
|
|
Monte Regali, Eustachius de
d.?1527
|
4 |
(I-MOd III)
Modena: Monte Regali, Eustachius de, 1520-1530
(Choirbook, MS)
#8
|
|
Attrib: Eu. de monteregali |
|
|
Credidi propter locutus sum - Vota mea Domino reddam
|
|
Isaac, Heinrich
c.1450–1517
|
4 |
|
Credidi propter quod
|
|
Hasenknopf, Sebastian
c.1545–after 1597
|
5 |
|
Credidi propter quod
tertii toni
|
|
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
8 |
|
Credidi propter quod
tertii toni
|
|
Colombani, Oratio
c.1550–1595
|
5 |
|
Credidi propter quod
sexti toni
|
|
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
6 |
Vespertina maiorum solennitatum psalm... (RISM A2526)
Vespertina maiorum solennitatum psalmodia senis vocibus decantanda
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1576
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: D. Io. Matthaeo Asvla Veronensi |
|
Vespertina maiorum solennitatum psalm... (RISM A2527)
Vespertina maiorum solennitatum psalmodia senis vocibus decantanda, Cantica quae duo B. Virginis, unum primi toni integrum, alterum vero sexti toni, pro commoditate cantorum in versiculos divisum
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1584
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Io. Matthaeo Asvla |
|
Vespertina maiorum solennitatum psalm... (RISM A2535)
Vespertina maiorum solennitatum psalmodia senis vocibus decantanda
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1590
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: D. Io. Matthaeo Asvla Veronensi |
|
Vespertina maiorum solennitatum psalm... (RISM A2528)
Vespertina maiorum solennitatum psalmodia senis vocibus decantanda, Cantica quae duo B. Virginis, unum primi toni integrum, alterum vero sexti toni, pro commoditate cantorum in versiculos divisum
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1590
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Io. Matthaeo Asvla |
|
|
Credidi propter quod
secundi toni
|
|
Anerio, Giovanni Francesco
c.1567–1630
|
4 |
|
Credidi propter quod
secundi toni
|
|
Massaino, Tiburtio
before 1550–after 1608
|
5 |
Concentus quinquae vocum in universos... (RISM M1266)
Concentus quinquae vocum in universos psalmos a Cath: Ro: Ecc. In vesperis omnium festor: per totum annum frequentatos. Cum tribus magnificat, quorum ultimum novem vocum modulatione copulatur. Quinque vocum
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1576
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Tiburtii Massaini |
|
Concentus quinque vocum in universos ... (RISM M1267)
Concentus quinque vocum in universos psalmos a cathe: ro: eccle: in vesperis omnium festorum per totum Annum frequentatos. Una cum Cantico B. Mariae Virginis
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1588
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Tibvrtii Massaini Cremonensis |
|
|
Credidi propter quod
octavi toni
|
|
Antegnati, Costanzo
1549–1624
|
8 |
|
Credidi propter quod
septimi toni
|
|
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
6 |
|
Credidi propter quod
septimi toni
|
|
Cartari, Giuliano
1536-1539–1613
|
6 |
Dulcifluum, senis vocibus, melos, sup... (RISM C1267)
Dulcifluum, senis vocibus, melos, super, omnium Festorum, Psalmos Vespertinos, totidemque vocibus, & geminis Tonis, hoc est, Quarto, & Quinto, supergeminatum Deipare Canticum, Nuper editum
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1590
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Ivliani Cartarii |
|
|
Credidi propter quod
tertii toni
|
|
Ghizzolo, Giovanni
d.1625
|
4 |
|
Credidi propter quod
|
|
Belli, Giulio
c.1560–after 1620
|
8 |
(SI-Lnr 343)
Ljubljana: Kuglmann, Georg, c.1600
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Julius Bellus |
|
|
Credidi propter quod
|
|
Cortellini, Camillo
1561–1630
|
8 |
(SI-Lnr 343)
Ljubljana: Kuglmann, Georg, c.1600
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#32
|
|
Attrib: Camillo Cortellini |
|
|
Credidi propter quod
quarti toni
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Credidi propter quod
|
|
Soriano, Francesco
1548/1549–1621
|
8 |
|
Credidi propter quod
|
|
Anon
|
8 |
|