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 |
Vulnerasti cor meum - Pulchriora sunt
|
|
Wanning, Johannes
1537–1603
|
5 |
Sacrarum cantionum quinque, sex, sept... (RISM W203)
Sacrarum cantionum quinque, sex, septem et octo vocibus compositarum, et tum vivae voci tum musicis instrumentis aptatarum
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Gerlach, Katharina, 1580
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Johannem VVanningvm Campensem |
|
|
Vulnerasti cor meum soror mea sponsa - Veni in hortum meum
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Vulneratus est Christus
|
|
Otto, Georg
1550–1618
|
5 |
|
Vultum desiderat
|
|
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
4 |
|
Vultum tuum
|
|
Montemayor, Melchor de
|
4 |
Libro de Introitos (E-GU 1)
(Choirbook, MS)
#22
|
|
Attrib: F. Melchor de Montemaior |
|
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
David Fraser (SATTB)
The Cardinall's Musick
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
5 |
Gradualia ac cantiones sacrae, quinis... (RISM B5218)
Gradualia ac cantiones sacrae, quinis, quaternis, trinisque vocibus concinnate Lib. Primus authoe Gulielmo Byrde, Organista Regio, Anglo Editio secunda, priore emendatior
London: Redmer, Richard, 1610
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Gulielmo Byrde |
|
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Lechner, Leonhard
c.1553–1606
|
5 |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Sales, Franz
c.1540–1599
|
5 |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Lambardi, Girolamo
fl.1586–1623
|
4 |
Contrapunta in introitus missarum qua... (RISM L373)
Contrapunta in introitus missarum quae maioribus sanctorum solemnitatibus toto anni tempore in Ecclesia celebrantur, iuxta morem Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae ... Quatuor vocibus decantanda
Venice: Magni, Bartolomeo, 1617
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: D. Hieronymi Lambardi |
|
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Isaac, Heinrich
c.1450–1517
|
4 |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Asola, Giovanni Matteo
c.1532–1609
|
4 |
Introitus missarum omnium maiorum sol... (RISM A2546)
Introitus missarum omnium maiorum solemnitatum totius anni, & alleluia, ac musica super canto plano ... Quattuor Vocum
Brescia: Bozzola, Tomaso, 1583
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#24
|
|
Attrib: Ioannem Matthaeum Asulam |
|
In omnibus totius anni solemnitatibus... (RISM A2600)
In omnibus totius anni solemnitatibus, Introitus et Alleluia, ad missalis Romani formam ordinati. Musica super cantu plano restituto. Quatuor vocibus.
Venice: Amadino, Ricciardo, 1598
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Io: Matthaeo Asula Veronensi |
|
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Isaac, Heinrich
c.1450–1517
|
6 |
(D-Mbs 31)
Munich: Weissenberger, Albert and Senfl, Ludwig, c.1510
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: Yzac |
Introit for Octave Day of Christmas |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(D-Ju 33)
Jena, c.1500-c.1520
(Choirbook, MS)
#18
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Introit for BVM (after Christmas) |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Chamaterò, Ippolito
c.1535–after 1592
|
6 |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Eccard, Johannes
1553–1611
|
5 |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Erbach, Christian
c.1568–1635
|
5 |
(D-As Tonk.Sch. 22)
Dreer, Johannes, 1614
(Choirbook, MS)
#24
|
|
Attrib: Erbachii |
introit; annunciation |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur
|
|
Mendes, Luis
|
4 |
|
Vultum tuum deprecabuntur - Sancta Dei genitrix - O intemerata virgo - O Maria nullam tam gravam possimus - Mente tota tibi supplicamus - Ora pro nobis sine termino - Christe fili Dei
|
|
Josquin Desprez
c.1450–1521
|
4 |
(D-Mbs 19)
Munich, c.1500-c.1540
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Quinta pars only |
Motetti libro quarto (RISM 1505/2)
Venice: Petrucci, Ottaviano, 1505
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#39
|
|
Attrib: Josquin de pres |
III: c3/c4 |
(V-CVbav Capp.Sist. 26)
Rome: Gellandi, Claudius, c.1515-c.1521
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Josquin |
Quinta pars only |
Chansonnier de Zeghere van Male (F-CA 125-8)
Cambrai, 1542
(Partbook, MS)
#94
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Tertia and quarta partes only |
Tertia pars magni operis musici, cont... (RISM 1559/2)
Tertia pars magni operis musici, continens clarissimorum symphonistarum tam veterum quàm recentiorum, praecipue vero Clementis non Papae, Carmina elegantissima. Quatuor vocum
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1559
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Iosquin de Prees |
Quinta pars only |
|
Vultum tuum deprecamur
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Was ever man
|
|
Peerson, Martin
1571-1573–1651
|
5 |
Mottects or grave Chamber Musique Con... (RISM P1136)
Mottects or grave Chamber Musique Containing Songs of five parts of severall sorts, some ful, and some Verse and Chorus. But all fit for Voyces and Viols, with an Organ Part; which for want of Organs, may be performed on Virginals, Bass-Lute, Bandora, or Irish Harpe.
London: Stansby, William, 1630
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#8
|
|
Attrib: Martin Peerson |
|
|
Was ever wretch tormented
|
|
Tomkins, Thomas
1572–1656
|
4 |
|
Was ich anfach geet hindersich
|
|
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
5 |
|
Was sol ich machen
|
|
Anon
|
3 |
|
Was wirdt es doch des wunders noch
|
|
Senfl, Ludwig
c.1486–1542/1543
|
7 |
|