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 |
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
|
Re, Benedetto
|
8 |
Integra psalmodia vespertina omnium s... (RISM R479)
Integra psalmodia vespertina omnium solemnitatum iuxta sacrosanctae romanae ecclesiae ritum octonis vocibus concinenda
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1611
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#1
|
|
Attrib: Benedicto Regio |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
(Alternatim psalm/canticle) |
Anon
|
8 |
(A-Gu 12)
Graz, 1586
(Choirbook, MS)
#22
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
|
Isnardi, Paolo
1536–1596
|
4 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
|
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
5 |
Sacra, omnium solemnitatum psalmodia ... (RISM 1592/3 (A2589))
Sacra, omnium solemnitatum psalmodia vespertina cum cantico B. Virginis. A diversis in arte musica prestantissimis viris notulis Musicis exornata quinque vocibus. Ad Celeberrimum ad Prestantissimum in arte Musica Coryphaeum D. Io: Petrum Aloysium Praenestinum
Venice: Amadino, Ricciardo, 1592
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#1
|
|
Attrib: Io. Matthei Asulae |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
(Hymn) |
Anon
|
8 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
|
Trabaci, Giovanni Maria
c.1575–1647
|
4 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(P-AR 32)
c.1610-1620
(Choirbook, MS)
#1
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende
|
|
Dulichius, Philipp
1562–1631
|
8 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende - Avertantur retrorsum - Exsultent et laetentur - Et dicunt semper - Adiutor meus
The Cardinall's Musick
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
6 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende - Ecce in tenebris
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Clemens non Papa, Jacobus
c.1510–1555/1556
|
6 |
Liber octavus cantionum sacrarum vulg... (RISM 1555/5)
Liber octavus cantionum sacrarum vulgo moteta vocant, quinque sex septem & octo vocum ex optimis quibusque Musicis selectarum
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
#10
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non papa |
|
Sacrarum cantionum vulgo hodie moteta... (RISM 1555/7)
Sacrarum cantionum vulgo hodie moteta vocant quinque et sex vocum ad veram harmoniam concentumque ab optimis quibusque musicis in philomusorum gratiam compositarum. Liber terius
Antwerp: Waelrant, Hubert and Laet, Jean de, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
#11
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non Papa |
|
(D-ROu Mus.Saec.XVI-42)
Rostock: Weissenberger, Albert, c.1555-c.1570
(Choirbook, MS)
#22
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non papa |
Secunda pars only |
Sextus tomus Evangeliorum, et piarum ... (RISM 1556/9)
Sextus tomus Evangeliorum, et piarum sententiarum. Quatuor, sex, et octo vocum. Continens historias & doctrinam, quae in Ecclesia proponi solet : de Poenitentia.
Nuremberg: Berg, Adam and Neuber, Ulrich, c.1556
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#43
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non Papa |
|
Theatri musici selectissimas Orlandi ... (RISM 1580/4)
Theatri musici selectissimas Orlandi de Lassus aliorumque praestantissimorum musicorum cantiones sacras, quatuor, quinque & plurimum vocum, repraesentantis Liber secundus
Geneva, 1580
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#25
|
|
Attrib: Cle. non Papa |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende - Exsultent et laetentur in te omnes
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Dressler, Gallus
1533–1580-1589
|
4 |
XC cantiones quatuor, quinque et plur... (RISM D3520)
XC cantiones quatuor, quinque et plurium vocum
Magdeburg: Kirchner, Wolfgang, 1570
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#81
|
|
Attrib: Galli Dreßleri |
|
Opus sacrarum cantionum, quatuor, qui... (RISM D3522)
Opus sacrarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque et plurium vocum, nunc denuo recognitum, et multo quam antea correctius in gratiam Musicorum editum
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Gerlach, Katharina, 1577
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#71
|
|
Attrib: Galli Dressleri Nebraei |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende - Exsultent et laetentur in te omnes
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Lemlin, Lorenz
c.1495–after 1549
|
4 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende - Exsultent et laetentur in te omnes
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Regnart, Jacob
1540-1545–1599
|
4 |
Aliquot cantiones vulgo motecta appel... (RISM R732)
Aliquot cantiones vulgo motecta appellatae ex veteri atque novo testamento collectae quatuor vocum
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina and Berg, Johann, 1577
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Iacobo Regnart |
|
Theatrum musicum Orlandi de Lassus, a... (RISM 1580/3)
Theatrum musicum Orlandi de Lassus, aliorumque praestantissimorum musicorum selectissimas cantiones sacras, quatuor, quinque & plurimum vocum, presentans. Liber primus
Geneva, 1580
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#6
|
|
Attrib: Iac. Regnard |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende - Exsultent et laetentur in te omnes
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Porta, Costanzo
c.1528–1601
|
6 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende - Exsultent et laetentur in te omnes
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
4 |
(D-Mbs 10)
1520-1529
(Choirbook, MS)
#7
|
|
Attrib: Lud: Sennfl |
|
Novum et insigne opus musicum, sex, q... (RISM 1537/1)
Novum et insigne opus musicum, sex, quinque, et autuor vocum, cuius in Germania hactenus nihil simile usquam est editum
Nuremberg: Formschneider, Hieronymus and Ott, Hans, 1537
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#40
|
|
Attrib: L. Senfl |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende [I]
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
8 |
Psalmodia ad vespertinas omnium solem... (RISM A2517)
Psalmodia ad vespertinas omnium solemnitatum horas octonis vocibus infractis decantanda: canticaquae duo B. Virginis Mariae, unum primi toni integrum, alterum quinti toni in versiculos divisum
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1574
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#1
|
|
Attrib: Io. Matthaeo Asvla |
In septuagesima: Laus tibi Domine |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende [I]
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Anon
|
6 |
(D-Mbs 89)
Munich, 1597
(Choirbook, MS)
#1
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende [I]
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
4 |
(D-Mbs 89)
Munich, 1597
(Choirbook, MS)
#5
|
|
Attrib: Or: Dilass: |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende [II]
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
8 |
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende [II]
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Anon
|
4 |
(D-Mbs 89)
Munich, 1597
(Choirbook, MS)
#4
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende [II]
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
4 |
(D-Mbs 89)
Munich, 1597
(Choirbook, MS)
#6
|
|
Attrib: Or: Dilass: |
|
|
Deus in adiutorium meum intende - Salvum me fac Domine
|
Ordinary Time 18 (post Pentecost XII) |
Handl, Jacob (Gallus)
1550–1591
|
4 |
|
Deus iniqui insurrexerunt super me
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
6 |
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
#446
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
|