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 |
Tantum ergo sacramentum
|
|
Orgas, Annibale
c.1585–1629
|
8 |
|
Tantum ergo sacramentum
|
|
Padilla, Juan Gutiérrez de
c.1590–1664
|
4 |
(Mex-Pc 15)
Puebla
(Choirbook, MS)
#18
|
|
Attrib: Ioannes Padilla |
|
|
Tantum ergo sacramentum
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Tantum ergo sacramentum
|
|
Cardoso, Manuel
1566–1650
|
4 |
Livro de varios motetes, officio da s... (RISM C1042)
Livro de varios motetes, officio da semana santa e outras cousas
Lisbon: Craesbeeck, Laurenco, 1648
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#25
|
|
Attrib: Fr. Manoel Cardoso |
|
|
Tantum igitur potuit inimica - Ergo cient lachrymas - Nunc mecum lachrymas
|
|
Zinssmaister, Leonhardus
|
4 |
|
Tant voeullies vostre amant secourir
|
|
Appenzeller, Benedictus
c.1480-1488–after 1558
|
4 |
|
Tartara
|
|
Isaac, Heinrich
c.1450–1517
|
3 |
|
Tart ara mon cor
|
|
Molinet, Jean
|
4 |
|
Ta volunté o Seigneur Dieu soit faite
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
Tiers livre, ou sont contenues plusie... (RISM 1555/17)
Tiers livre, ou sont contenues plusieurs chansons tirées du recueil: des meileures tant anciennes que modernes, composées de divers excellents musiciens: desquelles avons changé la verbe lubrique en lettre spirituelle et chrestienne. Le tout à quatre parties & en quatre livres.
[Geneva]: Du Bosc, Simon and Guéroult, Guillaume, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#24
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Teach me O Lord
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
5 |
Chirk Castle Partbooks (US-NYp Mus. Res. *MNZ (Chirk) [1-4])
Wrexham, c.1618-c.1633
(Partbook, MS)
RISM
#47
|
|
Attrib: mr wam Byrde |
|
Dunnington-Jefferson Manuscript (GB-Ym M29S)
c.1632
(Partbook, MS)
#189
|
|
Attrib: Mr Bird |
Psalm for Epiphany |
Dunnington-Jefferson Manuscript (GB-Ym M29S)
c.1632
(Partbook, MS)
#37
|
|
Attrib: Mr Bird |
|
The first book of selected church mus... (RISM 1641/5)
The first book of selected church musick, consisting of services and anthems, such as are now used in the cathedrall, and collegiat churches of this kingdome. Never before printed. Whereby such bookes as were heretofore with much difficulty and charges, transcribed for the use of the quire, are now to the saving of much labour and expence, publisht for the generall good of all such as shall desire them either for publick or private exercise. Collected out of divers approved authors, by Iohn Barnard one of the minor cannons of the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul, London.
London: Griffin, Edward and Barnard, John, 1641
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#26
|
|
Attrib: M. William Birds |
Psalms 119:33-38 |
(GB-DRc C1)
Durham, c.1660
(Partbook, MS)
#110
|
|
Attrib: mr Birde |
Ps 119 |
|
Teach me, O Lord
|
(Verse anthem) |
Anon
|
5 |
|
Teach me thy way
|
|
Hooper, Edmund
c.1553–1621
|
4 |
The first book of selected church mus... (RISM 1641/5)
The first book of selected church musick, consisting of services and anthems, such as are now used in the cathedrall, and collegiat churches of this kingdome. Never before printed. Whereby such bookes as were heretofore with much difficulty and charges, transcribed for the use of the quire, are now to the saving of much labour and expence, publisht for the generall good of all such as shall desire them either for publick or private exercise. Collected out of divers approved authors, by Iohn Barnard one of the minor cannons of the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul, London.
London: Griffin, Edward and Barnard, John, 1641
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#32
|
|
Attrib: Ed. Hooper |
|
|
Teach me thy way
|
|
Mundy, John
c.1555–1630
|
4 |
(GB-DRc C1)
Durham, c.1660
(Partbook, MS)
#56
|
|
Attrib: Mr Mundy |
|
|
Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord
|
|
Mundy, John
c.1555–1630
Mundy, William
c.1529–1591
|
5 |
Dunnington-Jefferson Manuscript (GB-Ym M29S)
c.1632
(Partbook, MS)
#53
|
|
Attrib: Mr Mundy |
|
|
Te aeternum patrem
|
|
Gallet, François
c.1555–after 1585
|
5 |
|
Tecum principium
|
|
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
5 |
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
#58
|
|
Attrib: Leonartum Pamingerum |
|
|
Tecum principium
|
|
Anon
|
8 |
Thesaurus musicus continens selectiss... (RISM 1564/1)
Thesaurus musicus continens selectissimas octo, septem, sex, quinque et quatuor vocum harmonias, tam a veteribus quam recentioribus Symphonistis compositas, et ad omnis generis instrumenta Musica accommodatas. Tomi primi continentis cantiones octo vocum
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1564
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#47
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Tecum principium
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae
|
|
Willaert, Adrian
c.1490–1562
|
4 |
I sacri et santi salmi che si cantano... (RISM W1125)
I sacri et santi salmi che si cantano a vespro et compieta con li suoi hymni, responsorii, & benedicamus.
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1571
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#22
|
|
Attrib: Adriano Vvillaert |
Antiphon for vespers of the Nativty of Our Lord |
|
Te decet hymnus
octavi toni
|
|
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
#28
|
|
Attrib: Lvdovico Viadana |
|
|
Te decet hymnus
octavi toni
|
|
Bacilieri, Giovanni
c.1580–after 1619
|
5 |
|
Te decet hymnus
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
|
Te decet hymnus Deus in Sion
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
4 |
Thesauri Musici tomus quintus et ulti... (RISM 1564/5)
Thesauri Musici tomus quintus et ultimus continens sacras harmonias quatuor vocibus compositas
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1564
(Partbook, Print/MS)
RISM
#18
|
|
Attrib: Orlandus di Lassus |
|
Altera pars selectissimarum cantionum... (RISM L916)
Altera pars selectissimarum cantionum, quas vulgo motetas vocant, quinque et quatuor vocibus compositarum
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Gerlach, Katharina, 1579
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#65
|
|
Attrib: Orlandum di Lassus |
|
Novem quiritationes divi Iob, bis qui... (RISM L979)
Novem quiritationes divi Iob, bis quidem, sed diversis modis lentiorique concentu quaternis vocibus modulantes
Paris: Le Roy, Adrian and Ballard, Robert, 1587
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#19
|
|
Attrib: Orlando Lassussio |
|
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
#110
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
|
Te decet hymnus Deus in Sion
|
|
Schoendorff, Philipp
1565-1570–1617
|
5 |
Sacrarum symphoniarum continuatio div... (RISM 1600/2)
Sacrarum symphoniarum continuatio diversorum excellentissimorum authorum quaternis, V. VI. VII. VIII. X. & XII. vocibus tam vivis, quam instrumentalibus accommodata
Nuremberg: Kauffmann, Paul, 1600
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#24
|
|
Attrib: Phlippi Schondorffii |
|
|
Te decet laus
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
(V-CVbav Capp.Sist. 36)
Rome: Alamire, Petrus, 1513-1521
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
'loco Deo gratias', possibly as part of previous Mass and therefore possibly by de la Rue |
|