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.
The best way to help fund the project is to commission performing editions. New editions can be made quickly for as little as £10.
Read more about the project's history at the 2018 Crowdfunder page.
Title |
Function(s) |
Composer |
# |
Sources |
3 voices upon the plainsong
|
|
Baldwin, John
before 1560–1615
|
3 |
|
Ab aeterno ordinata sum
|
|
Agazzari, Agostino
c.1580–1642
|
2 |
|
Ab aeterno ordinata sum
|
|
Monteverdi, Claudio
1567–1643
|
1 |
|
Abeuntes Pharisei
|
|
Maistre Jhan
c.1485–1538
|
4 |
|
A bien compter ma joye abandonnée
|
|
Fresneau, Henry
fl.1538–1554
|
4 |
|
A bien grant deul me puis je bien retraire
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
A bien grant tort vous faictes ce partaige
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
A bien grant tort vous m'avez pris en hayne
|
|
Gombert, Nicolas
c.1495–c.1560
|
4 |
|
A bien parler que c'est d'amours
|
|
Conseil, Jean
1498/1501–1534
|
4 |
|
Ab initio et ante saecula
|
|
Burgh, Cornelius
c.1590–c.1639
|
3 |
|
Ab oriente venerunt magi
|
Epiphany |
Lombardi, Bartolomeo
fl.1578
|
5 |
|
Ab oriente venerunt magi
|
Epiphany |
Dulichius, Philipp
1562–1631
|
5 |
|
Ab oriente venerunt magi
|
Epiphany |
Handl, Jacob
1550–1591
|
4 |
|
Ab oriente venerunt magi
|
Epiphany |
Nucius, Johannes
c.1556–1620
|
5 |
|
Ab oriente venerunt magi - Aurum et thus
|
Epiphany |
Sweelinck, Jan Pieterszoon
1562–1621
|
5 |
|
Ab oriente venerunt magi - Aurum sicut regi magno
Pothárn Imre
|
Epiphany |
Praetorius, Hieronymus
1560–1629
|
5 |
|
Ab oriente venerunt magi - Videntes autem stellam
|
Epiphany |
Hoyoul, Balduin
1547/1548–1594
|
6 |
(D-Sl 8)
Chamerhueber, Johann, 1569-1570
(Choirbook, MS)
#22
|
|
Attrib: Hoyou |
|
|
Ab oriente venerunt magi - Videntes autem stellam
|
Epiphany |
Clemens non Papa, Jacobus
c.1510–1555/1556
|
5 |
(D-Dl Mus.1-D-3)
Dresden, 1550-1560
(Partbook, MS)
RISM
#60
|
|
Attrib: C non papa |
|
Liber sextus cantionum sacrarum vulgo... (RISM 1554/5)
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1554
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#6
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non papa |
|
(D-ROu Mus.Saec.XVI-42)
Rostock: Weissenberger, Albert, c.1555-c.1570
(Choirbook, MS)
#8
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non papa |
|
Septimus liber modulorum, quatuor, qu... (RISM 1556/11)
[Geneva]: Du Bosc, Simon, 1556
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: C. non Papa |
Bassus pages missing |
(D-Dl Mus.Pi.Cod.VII)
Dresden: Weissenberger, Albert, 1556
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non papa |
|
Liber sextus cantionum sacrarum vulgo... (RISM 1558/5)
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1558
(Partbook, Print)
#6
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non papa |
|
Secunda pars magni operis musici cont... (RISM 1559/1)
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1559
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#58
|
|
Attrib: Ia. Clemens non Papa |
|
|
Ab ortu solis - Venite comedite
David Fraser (ATTB)
Ensemble Plus Ultra
|
Maundy Thursday |
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
4 |
|
Above all thing now let us sing
|
|
Farthing, Thomas
|
1 |
|
Above the stars
|
(Verse anthem) |
Parsons, Robert (ii)
|
5 |
Dunnington-Jefferson Manuscript (GB-Ym M29S)
c.1632
(Partbook, MS)
#108
|
|
Attrib: Mr Robert Parsons |
|
|
Above the stars my saviour dwells
|
(Verse anthem) |
Parsons, Robert (ii)
|
5 |
(GB-DRc C1)
Durham, c.1660
(Partbook, MS)
#149
|
|
Attrib: Mr Parsons |
|
|
Above the stars my Saviour dwells
|
(Verse anthem) |
Tomkins, Thomas
1572–1656
|
6 |
(GB-Cpc 6.1-6)
c.1625-1644
(Partbook, MS)
#35
|
|
Attrib: Mr Tomkins |
|
Dunnington-Jefferson Manuscript (GB-Ym M29S)
c.1632
(Partbook, MS)
#93
|
|
Attrib: Mr Thomas Tomkins |
|
[MS appended to copy of Barnard 1641/5] (GB-Och 544-553)
Oxford, 1641-c.1720
(Partbook, MS)
#2
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
(GB-DRc C1)
Durham, c.1660
(Partbook, MS)
#137
|
|
Attrib: Mr Tomkins |
|
Musica Deo Sacra & Ecclesiae Anglican... (RISM T950)
London: Godbid, William, 1668
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#18
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Tomkins |
|
|
Abraham pater vester
|
Lent V |
Lambardi, Girolamo
fl.1586–1623
|
4 |
|
Abraham pater vester - Amen dico vobis qui sermonem meum
|
|
Otto, Georg
1550–1618
|
6 |
|