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 |
Venite adoremus
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Venite adoremus
|
(Response(s)) |
Erbach, Christian
c.1568–1635
|
4 |
|
Venite adoremus regem regum
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Venite ascendamus ad montem Domini
|
|
Handl, Jacob (Gallus)
1550–1591
|
8 |
|
Venite benedicti patris mei - Amen dico vobis quicquid fecistis
|
|
Otto, Georg
1550–1618
|
6 |
|
Venite benedicti patris mei - Discedite a me maledicti
|
|
Waelrant, Hubert
c.1517–1595
|
5 |
Sacrarum cantionum (vulgo hodie motet... (RISM WW1a)
Sacrarum cantionum (vulgo hodie moteta vocant) quinque et sex vocum, sancta aliquot Iesu Christi Evangelia continentium, authore Huberto VVaelrando
Antwerp: Laet, Jean de and Waelrant, Hubert, c.1558
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: Huberto VVaelrando |
|
(D-Sl 4)
Stuttgart: Chamerhueber, Johann, 1565
(Choirbook, MS)
#12
|
|
Attrib: Hub. Vuaelrand |
|
|
Venite comedite
|
|
Erbach, Christian
c.1568–1635
|
4 |
|
Venite commedite panem meum
|
(Responsory) |
Kerle, Jacobus de
1531/1532–1591
|
4 |
|
Venite donne belle
|
|
Bartolucci, Ruffino 'Fra Rufin'
c.1470–1539
|
4 |
Motetti e Canzone Libro Primo (RISM [1521]/6)
[Rome]: Antico, Andrea, c.1520-c.1521
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#18
|
|
Attrib: F. rufin |
|
|
Venite edite manna
|
|
Guaitoli, Francesco Maria
1563–1628
|
8 |
|
Venite et ascendamus ad montem Domini
|
|
Corvo, Giovanni Battista
fl.1554–1555
|
6 |
|
Venite et audite
|
|
Bianciardi, Francesco
1571-1572–1607
|
4 |
Sacrarum modulationum quae vulgo mote... (RISM B2600)
Sacrarum modulationum quae vulgo motecta, & quatuor, quinis, senis, & octonis vocibus concinuntur. Liber secundus nunc primum in lucem editus
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1601
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Francisci Bianciardi Casulani |
|
|
Venite et ploremus - Popule meus
|
|
Quadris, Johannes de
|
2 |
|
Venite et videte opera Domini - Videntes sic admirati sunt
|
|
Crecquillon, Thomas
c.1505–1557
|
5 |
Choirbook A (NL-Lml 1438)
Leiden: Blauwe, Anthonius de, 1549
(Choirbook, MS)
#18
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Cricquillon |
|
Liber secundus cantionum sacrarum (vu... (RISM 1554/2)
Liber secundus cantionum sacrarum (vulgo moteta vocant) quinque et sex vocum
Lyon: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1554
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Crequillon |
|
Tomus quartus psalmorum selectorum qu... (RISM 1554/11)
Tomus quartus psalmorum selectorum quatuor et plurium vocum
Nuremberg: Berg, Adam and Neuber, Ulrich, 1554
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#28
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Crequillon |
|
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
#91
|
|
Attrib: Thomas Crecqilon |
|
Opus sacrarum cantionum (quas vulgo m... (RISM C4410)
Opus sacrarum cantionum (quas vulgo moteta vocant)
Leuven: Phalèse the Elder, Pierre, 1576
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#36
|
|
Attrib: Thomae Criquillon |
|
|
Venite et videte - Vacate et videte
Pothárn Imre
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
5 |
|
Venite exsultemus Domino
|
|
Dulichius, Philipp
1562–1631
|
6 |
|
Venite exsultemus Domino
|
|
Praetorius, Hieronymus
1560–1629
|
8 |
|
Venite exultemus
|
|
Morales, Cristóbal de
c.1500–1553
|
4 |
(Mex-Pc 3)
Puebla, c.1650-c.1700
(Choirbook, MS)
#9
|
|
Attrib: Morales |
Ps. 94, Matins, Office for the dead |
|
Venite exultemus
|
|
Baglioni, Girolamo
c.1575–1608
|
2 |
Sacrarum cantionum qua una, binis, te... (RISM B644)
Sacrarum cantionum qua una, binis, ternis, quatuor, quinque, & sex vocibus concinuntur, Liber primus, & opus secundum
Milan: Lomazzo, Filippo and Tini, Simone, 1608
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Hieronymi Ballioni |
|
|
Venite exultemus Domino
David Fraser (AATTBB)
Ensemble Plus Ultra
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
6 |
|
Venite exultemus Domino
|
|
Hassler, Hans Leo
1564–1612
|
8 |
|
Venite exultemus Domino
|
|
Sweelinck, Jan Pieterszoon
1562–1621
|
5 |
|
Venite exultemus Domino - Quoniam ipsius est mare - Hodie si vocem eius audieritis
|
|
Hoyoul, Balduin
1547/1548–1594
|
6 |
Sacrae Cantiones quinque, sex, septem... (RISM H7593)
Sacrae Cantiones quinque, sex, septem, octo, novem et decem vocum, quae cum vivae voci, tum omnis generis instrumentis musicis commodissime applicari possunt. Opus plane novum, nunquam aliis typis excusum
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1587
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Balduinus Hoyoul |
|
|
Venite exultemus - Quoniam Deus magnus
|
|
Vulpius, Melchior
c.1570–1615
|
6 |
|
Venite fili audite me - Servite domino in timore
|
|
Gombert, Nicolas
c.1495–c.1560
|
4 |
Musica quatuor vocum, (vulgo motecta ... (RISM G2977)
Musica quatuor vocum, (vulgo motecta nuncupatur,) Lyris maioribus, ac Tibijs imparibus accomodata. Nuper maximo authoris studio composita, nulli hactenus visa, sed noviter accuratissime in lucem edita. LIBER PRIMVS
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1539
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Gomberth |
|
Musica quatuor vocum, (vulgo motecta ... (RISM G2979)
Musica quatuor vocum, (vulgo motecta nuncupatur,) Lyris maioribus, ac Tibijs imparibus accomodata. Nuper maximo authoris studio composita, nulli hactenus visa, sed noviter accuratissime in lucem edita. LIBER PRIMVS. Cum quatuor vocibus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1541
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Gomberth |
|
Gomberti excellentissimi et invention... (RISM 1541/4)
Gomberti excellentissimi et inventione in hac art facile principis... musica quatuor vocum... liber primus
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1541
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Gomberth |
|
Motectorum, Nuperrime Maxima diligent... (RISM 1551/2)
Motectorum, Nuperrime Maxima diligentia in lucem aeditorum Liber Primus quatuor vocum
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1551
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: GOMBERT |
|
|