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 |
Sufficiebat mihi paupertas - Heu me fili mi
|
|
Maistre Jhan
c.1485–1538
|
4 |
(GB-Lcm 2037)
London, 1527-1534
(Partbook, MS)
#48
|
|
Attrib: Mre Jan |
|
|
Sufficiebat nobis paupertas nostra
|
|
Richafort, Jean
c.1480–c.1550
|
4 |
|
Sufficiebat nobis paupertas nostra - Heu me fili mi et quod te
|
|
Mantua, Jacquet de
1483–1559
|
5 |
Rusconi Codex (I-Bc Q.19)
Bologna, c.1518
(Choirbook, MS)
#24
|
|
Attrib: Jachet |
Tenor: Mon souvenir me fait mourir |
Thematic catalogue. MS destroyed in 1944 (I-TVd 30)
Treviso: d'Alessi, Giovanni, c.1570
(Partbook, MS)
#7
|
|
Attrib: Jachet |
Thematic catalogue, first phrase only |
|
Su l'alte eterne ruote - L'alma sul divin monte
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
5 |
|
Su l'ampia fronte - Io che forma celeste
|
|
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
6 |
|
Su la riva del Tebro - E volto al ciel con dolorosi accenti
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
6 |
|
Su le fiorite sponde
|
|
Massaino, Tiburtio
before 1550–after 1608
|
6 |
Sambrook book (US-NYp Drexel 4302)
London: Tregian, Francis (ii), 1613-1619
(Score, MS)
RISM
#244
|
|
Attrib: Tiburtio Massaino |
|
|
Su lherbe brunette
|
|
Nadalin
|
2 |
|
Sume Dei fideles
|
|
Ruffo, Vincenzo
c.1508–1587
|
5 |
|
Summae Trinitati
|
Trinity |
Resinarius, Balthasar
c.1485–1544
|
4 |
Responsoriorum numero octoginta de te... (RISM R1196)
Responsoriorum numero octoginta de tempore et festis iuxta seriem totius anni, Libri duo, Primus de Christo, & reno eius, Doctrina, Vita, Passione, Resurretione & Ascensione. Alter, de sanctis, & illorum in Christum fide & Cruce
Wittenberg: Rhau, Georg, 1543
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#32
|
|
Attrib: Baltasare Resinario |
|
|
Summae Trinitati
|
Trinity |
Vincentius, Caspar
c.1580–1624
|
8 |
|
Summae Trinitati [I]
|
Trinity |
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
4 |
Primus tomus ecclesiasticarum cantion... (RISM P828)
Primus tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a prima dominica adventus, usque ad passionem Domini et salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1573
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#141
|
|
Attrib: Leonartum Pamingerum |
|
|
Summae Trinitati [II]
|
Trinity |
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
4 |
Secundus tomus ecclesiasticarum canti... (RISM P829)
Secundus tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a passionem Domini et salvatoris nostri Jesu Christiu usque ad primam Dominicam post Festum S. Trinitatis
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1573
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#173
|
|
Attrib: Leonartum Pamingerum |
|
|
Summe Dei praesul Simper - Tu quae puerum morti deditum
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
Preces speciales pro salubri generali... (RISM K445)
Preces speciales pro salubri generalis concilii successu, ac conclusione, populique christiani salute, & unione: atque contra Ecclesiae hostium furorem, ex sacra scriptura, & Ecclesiae usu a Reverendo Patri Petre de Soto Ordinis Praedicatorum collectae
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1562
(Partbook, Print/MS)
RISM
#20
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Handwritten at end of D-As copy |
|
Summe Deus maiestatis/Iuste iudex aequitatis
|
|
Anon
|
3 |
|
Summe Deus nisi christicolas
|
|
Bisschop, Lodewijk de
c.1520–1595
|
3 |
Premier livre du recueil des fleurs p... (RISM 1560/7)
Premier livre du recueil des fleurs produictes de la divine musicque a trois parties
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1560
(Partbook, Print)
#37
|
|
Attrib: Episcopius |
|
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
#18
|
|
Attrib: Episcopius |
|
|
Summe Deus regnorum
|
|
Pynchon
|
3 |
Premier livre du recueil des fleurs p... (RISM 1560/7)
Premier livre du recueil des fleurs produictes de la divine musicque a trois parties
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1560
(Partbook, Print)
#36
|
|
Attrib: Pynchon |
|
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
#15
|
|
Attrib: Pynchon |
|
|
Summe laudis o Maria
|
|
Opitiis, Benedictus de
c.1476–1524
|
4 |
|
Summe parens rerum
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
(D-Sl 43)
Stuttgart, c.1540
(Choirbook, MS)
#12
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Summi Regis cor
Francis Bevan (ATBarB)
|
|
Aichinger, Gregor
1564–1628
|
4 |
|
Summi triumphum regis
|
|
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
4 |
|
Summi triumphum regis
|
|
Isaac, Heinrich
c.1450–1517
|
4 |
|
Summi triumphum Regis - Captivitatemquae detentam
|
|
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
4 |
Secundus tomus ecclesiasticarum canti... (RISM P829)
Secundus tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a passionem Domini et salvatoris nostri Jesu Christiu usque ad primam Dominicam post Festum S. Trinitatis
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1573
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#131
|
|
Attrib: Leonartum Pamingerum |
|
|
Sum servus Domini - Pelle ergo
|
|
Lusitano, Vicente
d. after 1561
|
6 |
|
Sum tuus in vita
|
|
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
4 |
|