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 |
Ubi cum Felice diacono
|
|
Erbach, Christian
c.1568–1635
|
4 |
|
Ubi duo vel tres
|
|
Rubini, Nicolò
1584–1625
|
5 |
|
Ubi duo vel tres congregati fuerint
|
|
Sweelinck, Jan Pieterszoon
1562–1621
|
5 |
|
Ubi duo vel tres - Libera me Domine
|
|
Ferrabosco, Alfonso (ii)
c.1575–1628
|
5 |
Sambrook book (US-NYp Drexel 4302)
London: Tregian, Francis (ii), 1613-1619
(Score, MS)
RISM
#41
|
|
Attrib: Alfonso Ferab. Jun |
|
|
Ubi est Abel frater tuus
|
|
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
#10
|
|
Attrib: Baltasare Resinario |
|
|
Ubi est Abel frater tuus
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Conflicting attributions
|
5 |
(GB-Lbl Add. 22597)
London, c.1565-c.1585
(Partbook, MS)
#12
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Cantiones quas vulgo motetas vocant, ... (RISM L816)
Cantiones quas vulgo motetas vocant, patrim omnino novae, partim nusquam in Germania excusae, quinque et quatuor vocibus compositae per excellentissimum musicum
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1568
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#35
|
|
Attrib: Orlandum di Lassus |
|
Secundus liber modulorum quinis vocib... (RISM L847)
Secundus liber modulorum quinis vocibus constantium
Paris: Ballard, Robert (i) and Le Roy, Adrian, 1571
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Orlando Lassvsio |
|
Baldwin partbooks (GB-Och 979-983)
Windsor: Baldwin, John, c.1575-c.1581
(Partbook, Print/MS)
#52
|
|
Attrib: mr dowglas |
|
A booke of In nomines & other solfain... (GB-Lbl Add. 31390)
A booke of In nomines & other solfainge songes of 5,6,7,and 8 parts for voyces or Instrumentes
London: Woodcock, Clement, c.1578
(Tablebook, MS)
#85
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
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
#41
|
|
Attrib: Orlandum di Lassus |
|
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
#231
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
|
Ubi est Abel frater tuus - Maledicta terra in opere
|
|
Hollander, Christian
c.1510-1515–1568/1569
|
4 |
|
Ubi est Abel frater tuus - Maledictus eris
|
|
Massaino, Tiburtio
before 1550–after 1608
|
5 |
|
Ubi sunt misericordiae
|
|
Merulo, Claudio
1533–1604
|
6 |
|
Udite lagrimosi spirti d'Averno
|
|
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
5 |
|
Udite lagrimosi spirti - La mia donna crudel
|
|
Wert, Giaches de
1535–1596
|
5 |
|
Udite voi finestre
|
|
Cara, Marchetto
c.1465–1525
|
4 |
|
Ullulate pastores et clamate
|
|
Allegri, Gregorio
1582–1652
|
5 |
|
Ultimi miei sospiri che mi lasciate
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Conflicting attributions
|
6 |
(I-Bc R.142)
Bologna, 1515-1530
(Partbook, MS)
#36
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
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
#1
|
|
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
#1
|
|
Attrib: Verdelot |
|
Baldwin commonplace book (GB-Lbl RM-24-d2)
London: Baldwin, John, c.1580-c.1606
(Score, MS)
#31
|
|
Attrib: mr: alfonso: ferabosco |
|
|
Ululate pastores
|
|
Pérez de la Parra, (Juan) Ginés
1548–1600
|
5 |
Motetes a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (E-VAcp 20)
Valencia, 1641
(Partbook, MS)
#4
|
|
Attrib: Perez |
|
|
Un adirato mar pien de martiri
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
5 |
|
Una donna fra l'altre
|
|
Monteverdi, Claudio
1567–1643
|
6 |
Il sesto libro de madrigali a cinque ... (RISM M3490)
Il sesto libro de madrigali a cinque voci, con uno Dialogo a Sette, Con il suo Basso continuo per poterli concertare nel Clavacembalo, & altri Stromenti. ... Nuovamente composti, & dati in luce
Venice: Amadino, Ricciardo, 1614
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Claudio Monteverde |
|
|
Un advocat dit à sa femme
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
4 |
Mellange d'Orlande de Lassus, contena... (RISM L834)
Mellange d'Orlande de Lassus, contenant plusieurs chansons, tant en vers latins qu'en ryme francoyses. A quatre, cinc, six, huit, dix, parties
Paris: Ballard, Robert (i) and Le Roy, Adrian, 1570
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Orlande |
|
|
Una est columba mea
|
|
Massaino, Tiburtio
before 1550–after 1608
|
9 |
Sacri modulorum concentus qui senis, ... (RISM M1275)
Sacri modulorum concentus qui senis, 7, 8, 9, 10, ac Duodenis vocibus in duos tresue Choros coalescentes, non minus In-mentorum, quam vocum harmonia suaviter concini possunt. Nunc primum in lucem editi.
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1592
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#15
|
|
Attrib: Tiburtii Massaini |
|
|
Una hora
Francis Bevan (SATB)
|
|
Cantone, Serafino
fl.1580–1627
|
4 |
|
Una hora
|
(Responsory) |
Dentice, Fabrizio
?1539–1581
|
5 |
Lamentationi (RISM D1659)
Milan: Tini, Simone and Tini, Francesco, 1593
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#8
|
|
Attrib: Fabricio Dentice |
[Maundy Thursday, Nocturn III] Responsory 2; Fauxbordon |
|
Una hora
|
|
Zoilo, Annibale
c.1537–1592
|
4 |
|
Una hora
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Una hora non potuistis
|
Maundy Thursday |
Gratiani, Bonifatio
1604-1605–1664
|
4 |
|
Una hora non potuistis
|
Maundy Thursday |
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
4 |
Secunda pars continens officium Hebdo... (RISM A2553)
Secunda pars continens officium Hebdomadae Sanctae idest lamentationes, responsoria, et alia, quae officiis matutinalibus, ac in processione Feriae sextae concinuntur cum quatuor vocibus
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1584
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: D. Io. Matthaeo Asula Veronensi |
Maundy Thursday: Tenebrae Nocturn III, 2 |
|