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 |
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur
|
|
Lupino, Francesco
c.1500–c.1573
|
4 |
Il primo Libro di Motetti a Quatro Vo... (RISM L3090)
Il primo Libro di Motetti a Quatro Voci da lui composti & non piu posti in Luce
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#20
|
|
Attrib: Francesco Lvpino |
|
Tertius tomus evangeliorum quatuor qu... (RISM 1555/11)
Tertius tomus evangeliorum quatuor quinque sex et plurium vocum continens historias et doctrinam, quae in ecclesia proponi solet: de Trinitate, de Dedicatione Templi, De coena Domini
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Franciscus Lupino |
|
Septimus liber modulorum, quatuor, qu... (RISM 1556/11)
Septimus liber modulorum, quatuor, quinque et sex vocum, (quos vulgus moteta vocat) à quibusvis celeberrimis authoribus excerptus, & nunc primùm in lucem aeditus.
[Geneva]: Du Bosc, Simon, 1556
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: F. Lupino |
|
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Regnart, Jacob
1540-1545–1599
|
5 |
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur
|
|
Lombardi, Bartolomeo
fl.1578
|
5 |
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur
|
|
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
4 |
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur
|
|
Isaac, Heinrich
c.1450–1517
|
4 |
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur
|
|
Handl, Jacob (Gallus)
1550–1591
|
6 |
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur
|
|
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
4 |
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur
|
|
Erbach, Christian
c.1568–1635
|
5 |
(D-As Tonk.Sch. 22)
Dreer, Johannes, 1614
(Choirbook, MS)
#40
|
|
Attrib: Erbachii |
communion; dedication of church |
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur
|
|
Aichinger, Gregor
1564–1628
|
4 |
Liturgica sive sacra officia, ad omne... (RISM A528)
Liturgica sive sacra officia, ad omnes dies festos Magnae Dei Matris per annum celebrari solitos, quarternis vocibus ad modos musicos facta
Augsburg: Praetorius, Johann, 1603
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#15
|
|
Attrib: Gregorium Aichinger |
Communion for Dedication of a church |
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur - Petite et accipietis
|
|
Clemens non Papa, Jacobus
c.1510–1555/1556
|
4 |
|
Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur - Petite et accipietis
|
|
Conte, Bartholomeus le
fl.1547–1565
|
5 |
|
Domus pudici pectoris
|
|
Vaet, Jacobus
c.1529–1567
|
3 |
Selectissimarum sacrarum cantionum (q... (RISM 1569/4)
Selectissimarum sacrarum cantionum (quas vulgo Moteta vocant) flores, trium vocum: ex optimis ac praestantissimis quibusque divinae Musices authoribus excerptarum. Iam primum summa cura ac diligentia collecti et impressi. Liber primus.
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1569
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Iacobus Vaet |
|
|
Donec gratus eram tibi
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Rore, Cipriano de
1515/1516–1565
|
8 |
(D-Mbs B(1)
Munich: Pollet, Jean, 1559
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Cyprianus de Rore |
|
|
Donna ascolta el tuo amatore
|
|
Rigum, Antonio
|
4 |
|
Donna beata e bella
|
|
Arcadelt, Jacques
1507–1568
|
4 |
|
Donna bella e gentile
|
|
Verdonck, Cornelis
1563–1625
|
4 |
Musica Transalpina. Madrigales transl... (RISM 1588/29)
Musica Transalpina. Madrigales translated of foure, fiue and sixe parts, chosen out of diuers excellent Authors...
London: East, Thomas and Yonge, Nicholas, 1588
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#12
|
|
Attrib: Cornelio Verdonch |
as Lady, your look so gentle |
|
Donna ben v'ingannate [I]
|
|
Porta, Costanzo
c.1528–1601
|
5 |
|
Donna ben v'ingannate [II]
|
|
Porta, Costanzo
c.1528–1601
|
5 |
|
Donna che deggio far
|
|
Verdelot, Philippe
c.1480-1485–?1530/1532
|
6 |
La piu divina, et piu bella Musica, c... (RISM 1541/16)
La piu divina, et piu bella Musica, che se udisse giamai delli presenti Madrigali, a Sei voci...
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1541
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#23
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
Verdelot a sei. Madrigali di Verdelot... (RISM 1546/19)
Verdelot a sei. Madrigali di Verdelot et de altri autori a sei voci novamente con alcuni madrigali novi ristampati & corretti
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1546
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
Madregali di Verdelot a sei insieme a... (RISM 1561/16)
Madregali di Verdelot a sei insieme altri madregali de diversi eccellentissimi autori novamente per Antonio Gardano con nova gionta ristampati
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1561
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#8
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
|
Donna che quasi cigno - Et ben che voi per voi sola sublime
|
|
Flori, Giorgio
c.1558–after 1594
|
5 |
Il Desiderio Secondo libro de madriga... (RISM 1566/3)
Il Desiderio Secondo libro de madrigali a cinque voci, de diversi auttori, novamente posti in luce, per Giulio Bonagionta da S. Genesi
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo and Bonagionta, Giulio, 1566
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#15
|
|
Attrib: Giovan Florio |
|
|
Donna che sete tra le belle bella
|
|
Verdelot, Philippe
c.1480-1485–?1530/1532
|
4 |
Del primo libro de Madrigali di Verde... (RISM 1533/2)
Del primo libro de Madrigali di Verdelotto
Venice: Antico, Andrea, 1533
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
Il primo libro de Madrigali di Verdel... (RISM V1219 (1537/9))
Il primo libro de Madrigali di Verdelotto. Novamente stampato, et con somma diligentia corretto
Venice: Scotto, Ottavio, 1537
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
Di Verdelot tutti li madrigali del pr... (RISM 1556/27 (V1235))
Di Verdelot tutti li madrigali del primo & del secondo libro a quattro voci, nuovamente ristampati & con somma diligentia corretti
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1556
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#20
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
|
Donna chi mira te
|
|
Gastoldi, Giovanni Giacomo
c.1554–1609
|
5 |
|
Donna ch'ornata sete
Pothárn Imre (Down a fourth)
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Rore, Cipriano de
1515/1516–1565
|
4 |
|
Donna cinta di ferro - Vinca dunque il voler
|
|
Gabrieli, Andrea
1532/1533–1585
|
6 |
|
Donna contra la mia voglia
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|