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 |
Vous usurpez dame injustement
|
|
Sandrin, Pierre (Regnault)
c.1490–after1560
|
4 |
|
Vovete et reddite
|
|
Isaac, Heinrich
c.1450–1517
|
4 |
Primus Tomus Coralis Constantini ut v... (RISM I89)
Primus Tomus Coralis Constantini ut vulgo vocant, opus insigne & præclarum, vereque coelestis harmoniæ
Nuremberg: Formschneider, Hieronymus, 1550
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#55
|
|
Attrib: Henrico Isaac |
Communion for seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost |
|
Vox clamantis in deserto
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Wert, Giaches de
1535–1596
|
6 |
|
Vox clamantis in deserto
|
|
Wanning, Johannes
1537–1603
|
5 |
|
Vox clamantis in deserto
|
|
Handl, Jacob (Gallus)
1550–1591
|
8 |
|
Vox clamantis - Vox dicentis
|
|
Clemens non Papa, Jacobus
c.1510–1555/1556
|
5 |
Liber octavus cantionum sacrarum vulg... (RISM 1555/5)
Liber octavus cantionum sacrarum vulgo moteta vocant, quinque sex septem & octo vocum ex optimis quibusque Musicis selectarum
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
#8
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non papa |
|
Secunda pars magni operis musici cont... (RISM 1559/1)
Secunda pars magni operis musici continens clarissimorum symphonistarum tam veterum quam recentiorum, praecipe vero Clementis non Papae, Carmina elegantissima quinque vocum
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1559
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#61
|
|
Attrib: Ia. Clemens non Papa |
|
|
Vox de caelis
|
|
Porta, Costanzo
c.1528–1601
|
4 |
|
Vox de caelis
|
(Introit) |
Anon
|
5 |
(GB-Lbl Add. 47844)
London, 1581
(Partbook, MS)
#11
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Porta. With final remark 'Good' |
|
Vox de caelis Catharinae redditur
|
|
Piccioni, Giovanni
1548/1549–1619
|
8 |
|
Vox de caelis Catharinae redditur
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
(I-TVd 8)
Treviso, 1556-1569
(Choirbook, MS)
#13
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
corner of first page missing = half of tenor part. |
|
Vox de caelis insonuit
|
|
Vernizzi, Ottavio
1569–1649
|
4 |
|
Vox de caelis intonuit veni electa mea - Virgo sancta Katherina
|
|
Maistre Jhan
c.1485–1538
|
4 |
|
Vox de caelo sonuit
|
|
Handl, Jacob (Gallus)
1550–1591
|
6 |
|
Vox dicentis clama quid clamabo - Exsiccatum est fenum et cecidit
|
|
Hondt, Gheerkin de
fl.1521–1547
|
4 |
|
Vox dilecti mei
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da
c.1525–1594
|
5 |
Motettorum Quinque vocibus liber quar... (RISM P716)
Motettorum Quinque vocibus liber quartus nunc denuo in lucem aeditus
Rome: Gardano, Alessandro, 1583-1584
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Ioan: Petraloysii Praenestini |
|
Mottetorum quinque vocibus liber quar... (RISM P717)
Mottetorum quinque vocibus liber quartus ex Canticis Salomonis, nunc denuo in lucem aeditus
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1587
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Ioan: Petraloysii Praenestini |
|
Mottetorum quinque vocibus liber quar... (RISM P721)
Mottetorum quinque vocibus liber quartus ex Canticis Salomonis, nunc denuo in lucem aeditus
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1596
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Ioan: Petraloysii Praenestini |
|
Offertoria ... et Cantica canticorum ... (I-Bc U.4)
Offertoria ... et Cantica canticorum eiusdem
Bologna, c.1600-c.1699
(Score, MS)
#82
|
|
Attrib: Io. Petri Aloisii Praenestini |
|
Mottetorum Quinque vocibus Liber Quar... (RISM P723)
Mottetorum Quinque vocibus Liber Quartus, ex Canticis Salomonis Nunc denuo in lucem aeditus
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1603
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Ioan. Petraloysii Praenestini |
|
Motectorum quinque vocibus. Liber qua... (RISM P725)
Motectorum quinque vocibus. Liber quartus
Venice: Raverii, Alessandro, 1608
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Io. Petraloysii Praenestini |
|
|
Vox dilecti mei
|
|
Massaino, Tiburtio
before 1550–after 1608
|
12 |
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
#21
|
|
Attrib: Tiburtii Massaini |
|
|
Vox dilecti mei
|
|
Boschetti, Giovanni
d.1622
|
2 |
Sacrae cantiones, binis, ternis, quat... (RISM B3788)
Sacrae cantiones, binis, ternis, quaternis, quinis, octonisquae vocibus concinendae. Liber Tertius cum basso ad organum opus quintum
Rome: Soldi, Luca Antonio, 1620
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Ioannis Boschetti |
|
|
Vox dilecti mei
|
|
Ribaflecha, Martin de
|
4 |
(E-Sc 5-5-20)
Seville, c.1500-c.1550
(Choirbook, MS)
#12
|
|
Attrib: Ribafrecha |
|
|
Vox in Rama
Pothárn Imre
|
Holy Innocents |
Wert, Giaches de
1535–1596
|
5 |
|
Vox in Rama
|
Holy Innocents |
Brouck, Jacob de
fl.1568–1583
|
5 |
|
Vox in Rama
|
Holy Innocents |
Avenarius, Philipp
c.1553–1610
|
5 |
Cantiones sacrae quinque vocum, accom... (RISM A2903)
Cantiones sacrae quinque vocum, accommodate ad omnes usus, tam viva voce, quam omnis generis instrumentis cantatu iucundae iam recens in lucem editae
Nuremberg: Neuber, Ulrich, 1572
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#19
|
|
Attrib: Philippo Auenario |
|
|
Vox in Rama
|
Holy Innocents |
Louys, Jean
c.1530–1563
|
5 |
Liber nonus ecclesiasticarum cantionu... (RISM 1554/9)
Liber nonus ecclesiasticarum cantionum quinque vocum vulgo moteta vocant, tam ex Veteri quam ex Novo testamento, ab optimis quibusque huius atatis Musicis compositarum. Omnes de uno tono Antea nunquam excusus
Antwerp: Susato, Tylman, 1554
(Partbook, Print)
#9
|
|
Attrib: Ioannes Louuys |
|
|
Vox in Rama
|
Holy Innocents |
Crespel, Jean
fl.c.1549–1556
|
5 |
Liber nonus ecclesiasticarum cantionu... (RISM 1554/9)
Liber nonus ecclesiasticarum cantionum quinque vocum vulgo moteta vocant, tam ex Veteri quam ex Novo testamento, ab optimis quibusque huius atatis Musicis compositarum. Omnes de uno tono Antea nunquam excusus
Antwerp: Susato, Tylman, 1554
(Partbook, Print)
#8
|
|
Attrib: Io. Crespel |
|
|
Vox in Rama
|
Holy Innocents |
Dering, Richard
c.1580–1630
|
5 |
Cantiones sacrae quinque vocum, cum b... (RISM D1317)
Cantiones sacrae quinque vocum, cum basso continuo ad organum
Antwerp: Phalèse the Younger, Pierre, 1617
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Richardo Diringo |
|
|
Vox in rama audita est
|
|
Sermisy, Claudin de
c.1490–1562
|
4 |
|