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 |
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Franck, Melchior
c.1579–1639
|
8 |
Melodiarum sacrarum quinis, senis, se... (RISM F1652)
Melodiarum sacrarum quinis, senis, septenis, octonis, novenis, 12. 11, 12. vocibus concinendarum
Coburg: Hauck, Justus, 1607
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Melchioris Franci Silesii |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
secundi toni
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
4 |
Officium defunctorum quatuor vocibus (RISM A2579)
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1588
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: Mattheum Asulam Veronensem |
|
Officium defunctorum addito Cantico Z... (RISM A2591)
Officium defunctorum addito Cantico Zachariae quatuor vocibus
Venice: Amadino, Ricciardo, 1593
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: R. D. Io. Matthaeum Asulam Veron. |
|
Officium defunctorum addito Cantico Z... (RISM A2593)
Officium defunctorum addito Cantico Zachariae quatuor vocibus
Venice: Amadino, Ricciardo, 1603
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: R. D. Io: Matthaeum Asulam Veron. |
|
Officium psalmi et missa. Defunctorum... (RISM A2595)
Officium psalmi et missa. Defunctorum addito canticum Zachariae. Quatuor vocibus
Venice: Magni, Bartolomeo, 1621
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: Io. Matthaeum Asulam |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Anerio, Giovanni Francesco
c.1567–1630
|
2 |
Motectorum singulis, binis, ternis, q... (RISM A1102)
Motectorum singulis, binis, ternis, quaternis, quinis, senisque vocibus; Una cum litaniis Beatae Virginis quatuor vocibus, cum Basso ad Organum
Rome: Robletti, Giovanni Battista, 1613
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#4
|
|
Attrib: Io. Francisci Anerii |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Reiner, Jacob
before 1560–1606
|
3 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Anon
|
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
#9
|
|
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
#14
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Anon
|
5 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Agazzari, Agostino
c.1580–1642
|
5 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Cifra, Antonio
1584–1629
|
2 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Handl, Jacob (Gallus)
1550–1591
|
4 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Osculati, Giulio
d. after 1615
|
7 |
Liber primus motectorum quinque, sex,... (RISM O140)
Liber primus motectorum quinque, sex, septem, octo, novem, decem, & duodecim vocum
Venice: Raverii, Alessandro, 1609
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Ivlio Oscvlato Lavdensi |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
secundi toni
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Viadana, Lodovico
c.1540-1560–1627
|
4 |
Officium defunctorum omnia quae music... (RISM V1357)
Officium defunctorum omnia quae musico modulamine in exequiis defunctorum recitari possunt complectens quatuor paribus vocibus decantandum nunc primum ita musice dispositum, & in lucem editum
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1600
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: Lvdovico Viadana |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
octavi toni
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Anon
|
4 |
(P-Cug 53)
c.1585-1600
(Choirbook, MS)
#55
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Patta, Serafino
fl.1606–1619
|
2 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
secundi toni
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Bacilieri, Giovanni
c.1580–after 1619
|
5 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Ratti, Lorenzo
1589/1590–1630
|
5 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Poss, Georg
c.1570–after 1633
|
8 |
Orpheus mixtus vel, si mavis concentu... (RISM P5246)
Orpheus mixtus vel, si mavis concentus musici, tam sacris, quam profanis usibus elaborati, tam simulatis instrumentorum, quam vivis hominum vocibus concinnati, quibus vox octava imitium, sextadecima finem scribit
Graz: Widmanstetter, Georg, 1607
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#1
|
|
Attrib: Georgio Poss Francone |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer
octavi toni
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Anon
|
5 |
(A-Wn 15943)
Vienna: Moser, Georg, c.1600-c.1699
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
fauxbordon |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer - Deus meus in te confido
Pothárn Imre
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Regnart, Jacob
1540-1545–1599
|
5 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer - Heu mihi Domine
|
|
Verdelot, Philippe
c.1480-1485–?1530/1532
|
4 |
Di Verdelot elletione de motetti non ... (RISM 1549/15)
Di Verdelot elletione de motetti non pi stampati a quatro voce...
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
Electiones diversorum motetorum disti... (RISM 1549/12)
Electiones diversorum motetorum distincte quatuor vocibus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#8
|
|
Attrib: Verdeloto |
|
Choirbook D (NL-Lml 1441)
Leiden: Blauwe, Anthonius de and Flamingus, Johannes, c.1550-c.1567
(Choirbook, MS)
#33
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer - Heu mihi Domine
|
|
Unterholtzer, Rupert
c.1505-1510–after 1542
|
4 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer - Heu mihi Domine
|
|
Utendal, Alexander
c.1530-1540–1581
|
5 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer - Heu mihi Domine
|
|
Milleville, Alessandro
1521–1589
|
5 |
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer - Heu mihi Domine
|
|
Bauldeweyn, Noel
fl.1509–1513
|
5 |
(I-Bc Q.27 Iº)
Bologna, c.1525-c.1550
(Partbook, MS)
#39
|
|
Attrib: Noe balduin |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer - Heu mihi quia incolatus meus
Pothárn Imre
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
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
#432
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
|
Ad Dominum cum tribularer - Heu mihi quia incolatus meus
|
Ordinary Time 8 (Sunday in the octave of Corpus Christi) |
Phinot, Dominique
c.1510–c.1556
|
5 |
|