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 |
Tua est potentia
|
|
Lambardi, Girolamo
fl.1586–1623
|
4 |
|
Tua est potentia
|
|
Cardoso, Manuel
1566–1650
|
6 |
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
#2
|
|
Attrib: Fr. Manoel Cardoso |
|
|
Tua est potentia
|
|
Gerarde, Derrick
fl.c.1540–1580
|
5 |
|
Tua est potentia
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
|
Tua est potentia - Creator omnium
|
|
Porta, Costanzo
c.1528–1601
|
5 |
|
Tua est potentia - Creator omnium
|
|
Gallet, François
c.1555–after 1585
|
8 |
|
Tua est potentia - Creator omnium
|
|
Phinot, Dominique
c.1510–c.1556
|
5 |
|
Tua est potentia tuum regnum Domine
|
|
Conflicting attributions
|
6 |
Selectissimae necnon familiarissimae ... (RISM 1540/7)
Selectissimae necnon familiarissimae cantiones, ultra centum
Augsburg: Kriesstein, Melchior and Salminger, Sigmund, 1540
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: Ghiselinus Danckertz |
|
Thematic catalogue. MS destroyed in 1944 (I-TVd 30)
Treviso: d'Alessi, Giovanni, c.1570
(Partbook, MS)
#35
|
|
Attrib: M. Jan |
Thematic catalogue, first phrase only; Canone enigmatico |
|
Tuam crucem adoramus
|
|
Orgas, Annibale
c.1585–1629
|
5 |
|
Tu as este Seigneur
|
|
Goudimel, Claude
1514-1520–1572
|
4 |
|
Tu autem fili mi
|
|
Massaino, Tiburtio
before 1550–after 1608
|
5 |
|
Tu Bethlehem terra Juda
|
|
Gerarde, Derrick
fl.c.1540–1580
|
5 |
|
Tu che potevi sol
|
|
Anon
|
6 |
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
#24
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
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
#8
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Tu cognovisti Domine
|
|
Patta, Serafino
fl.1606–1619
|
1 |
|
Tucto il mundo e fantasia
|
|
Hesdimois, Johannes
|
4 |
|
Tu decus Aonidum praeclarum - Organa cum cithara
|
|
Meiland, Jacob
1542–1577
|
5 |
|
Tu Deus clemens et misericors es
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Wert, Giaches de
1535–1596
|
5 |
|
Tu Deus noster - Nosse enim te consummata
|
|
Lupi, Johannes
c.1506–1539
|
5 |
Io. Lupi chori Sacrae Virginis Mariae... (RISM L3089)
Io. Lupi chori Sacrae Virginis Mariae Cameracensis magistri, musice cantiones (que vulgo motetta nuncupantur)
Paris: Jullet, Herbert and Attaingnant, Pierre, 1542
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Io. Lupi |
|
Cantiones septem, sex et quinque vocu... (RISM 1545/3)
Cantiones septem, sex et quinque vocum. Longe gravissimae, iuxta ac amoenissimae in Germania maxime hactenus Typis non excusae. Ad lectorem. Per mare delphin transuexit & orphea, vatem, concentu dulci musica nostra refert
Augsburg: Kriesstein, Melchior and Salminger, Sigmund, 1545
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#25
|
|
Attrib: Lvpi |
|
Cantiones septem, sex et quinque vocu... (RISM 1546/5)
Cantiones septem, sex et quinque vocum. Longe gravissimae, juxta ac amoenissimae, in Germania maximehactenus Typis non excusae
Augsburg: Kriesstein, Melchior and Salminger, Sigmund, 1546
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#25
|
|
Attrib: Lvpi |
|
Liber secundus sacrarum cantionum qui... (RISM 1546/7)
Liber secundus sacrarum cantionum quinque vocum Vulgo Moteta Vocant, ex optimis quibusque huius aetatis musicis Selectarum
Antwerp: Susato, Tylman, 1546
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Ioannes Lupi |
|
Quintus tomus evangeliorum et piarum ... (RISM 1556/8)
Quintus tomus evangeliorum et piarum sentiarum quinque vocum continens historias & doctrinam, quae in Ecclesia proponi solet: de poenitentia
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1556
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#26
|
|
Attrib: Lupi |
|
Choirbook B (NL-Lml 1439)
Leiden: Blauwe, Anthonius de, 1559
(Choirbook, MS)
#19
|
|
Attrib: Joannes Lupi |
|
|
Tu Deus noster - Tribue ergo nobis Domine
|
|
Gombert, Nicolas
c.1495–c.1560
|
5 |
Cantiones quinque vocum selectissimae... (RISM 1539/8)
Cantiones quinque vocum selectissimae, a primariis (Germnaiae inferioris, Galliae, & ITaliae) musices magistris editae. Ante hac typis nondum divulgatae. Numero vigintiocto. Mutetarum liber primus
Strasbourg: Schoeffer, Peter and Salminger, Sigmund, 1539
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Gombert |
|
Musica Excellentissimi Nicolai Gomber... (RISM G2981)
Musica Excellentissimi Nicolai Gomberti (vulgo motecta quinque vocum nuncupata) in qua facile comperies quantum in hac arte, inventione alijs omnibus praevaleat. Novissime omni studio, ac diligentia in lucem edita. Liber Primus. Quinque Vocum
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1539
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#23
|
|
Attrib: Nicolai Gomberti |
|
Nicolai Gomberti Musici Excellentissi... (RISM G2983)
Nicolai Gomberti Musici Excellentissimi cum quinque vocibus Liber Primus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1552
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#19
|
|
Attrib: Nicolai Gomberti |
|
Quintus tomus evangeliorum et piarum ... (RISM 1556/8)
Quintus tomus evangeliorum et piarum sentiarum quinque vocum continens historias & doctrinam, quae in Ecclesia proponi solet: de poenitentia
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1556
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#25
|
|
Attrib: Gombert |
|
Bourdenay codex (F-Pn 851)
Paris, c.1570-c.1599
(Score, MS)
#443
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Tu disoys que j'en mourroys
|
|
Sermisy, Claudin de
c.1490–1562
|
4 |
|
Tu dolce anima mia
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
|
Tu dominaris omnium
|
|
Ugolini, Vincenzo
c.1580–1638
|
4 |
|
Tu Domine benignus es - Respice me
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
5 |
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
#31
|
|
Attrib: Orlandum di Lassus |
|
Tertius liber modulorum quinis vocibu... (RISM L859)
Tertius liber modulorum quinis vocibus constantium
Paris: Ballard, Robert (i) and Le Roy, Adrian, 1573
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Orlando Lassvsio |
|
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
#36
|
|
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
#185
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
|
Tu Domine qui corda nosti - Et dederunt fortes eorum
|
|
Wanning, Johannes
1537–1603
|
5 |
|
Tu Domine qui misisti
|
|
Porta, Costanzo
c.1528–1601
|
8 |
|