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 |
Erravit primus nomen
|
|
Blanckenmüller, Georg
b.c.1480-1500
|
4 |
|
Erstanden ist der Herre Christ
|
|
Knöfel, Johann
1525-1530–1617
|
6 |
(D-Mbs C)
Munich, c.1543-c.1599
(Choirbook, MS)
#7
|
|
Attrib: Johann Knofel |
|
|
Erubescant et conturbentur vehementer
|
|
Handl, Jacob (Gallus)
1550–1591
|
4 |
|
Eructavit cor meum
|
|
Rovetta, Giovanni
c.1595–1668
|
3 |
|
Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum
|
|
Gabrieli, Andrea
1532/1533–1585
|
6 |
Concerti di Andrea et di Gio: Gabriel... (RISM 1587/16 (G85))
Concerti di Andrea et di Gio: Gabrieli organisti della sereniss. sig. di Venetia. Continenti musica DI CHIESA, Madrigali, & altro, per voci, & stromenti Musicali; a 6. 7. 8. 10. 12. & 16. Novamente con ogni diligentia dati in luce Libro primo et Secondo
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1587
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Andrea Gabrieli |
|
Continuatio cantionum sacrarum quatuo... (RISM 1588/2)
Continuatio cantionum sacrarum quatuor, quinque, sex, septem, octo et plurium vocum de festis praecipuis anni
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1588
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#36
|
|
Attrib: Andreae Gabriel |
|
Promptuarii musici sacras harmonias s... (RISM 1613/2)
Promptuarii musici sacras harmonias sive motetas V. VI. VII. & VII. vocum ... Pars tertia
Strasbourg: Kieffer, Carl, 1613
(Partbook, Print)
#28
|
|
Attrib: Andreae Gabrielis |
|
Basso per l'organo Concerti di Andrea... (D-As Tonk.Sch. 200a)
Basso per l'organo Concerti di Andrea et di Gio: Gabrieli organisti della sereniss. sig. di Venetia. Continenti musica DI CHIESA, Madrigali, & altro, per voci, & stromenti Musicali; a 6. 7. 8. 10. 12. & 16. Novamente con ogni diligentia dati in luce Libro primo et Secondo
Augsburg, 1636
(Partbook, MS)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: Andrea Gabrieli |
|
|
Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum
|
|
Bagni, Benedetto
fl.1608
|
8 |
|
Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum
|
|
Mundy, William
c.1529–1591
|
6 |
|
Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Erunt prava in directa
|
|
Lambardi, Girolamo
fl.1586–1623
|
4 |
Antiphonae omnes iuxta ritum Romani b... (RISM L367b)
Antiphonae omnes iuxta ritum Romani breviarii pro totius anni dominicis diebus in primis, & secundis vesperis nunc primum ... Secunda pars
Venice: Caenobio Sancti Spiritus, 1600
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#21
|
|
Attrib: Hieronymo Lambardo |
|
|
Erunt signa in sole
Francis Bevan (SATB)
Coro Victoria
|
Advent I |
Lobo, Alonso
1555–1617
|
4 |
(E-SE 6)
(Choirbook, MS)
#72
|
|
Attrib: Alphonsi lupi |
|
|
Erunt signa in sole
Nancho Alvarez
|
Advent I |
Guerrero, Francisco
1528–1599
|
4 |
(E-SE 6)
(Choirbook, MS)
#21
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Mottecta que partim quaternis partim ... (RISM G4875)
Mottecta que partim quaternis partim quinis alia senis alia octonis concinuntur vocibus. Liber secundus.
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1589
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#2
|
|
Attrib: Francisci Gverreri |
|
Motecta (RISM G4877)
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1597
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#20
|
|
Attrib: Francisci Gverreri |
|
|
Erunt signa in sole
|
Advent I |
Anon
|
4 |
|
Erwelt han ich auf erden mir
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Erzürne dich nicht uber die bösen - Halt dem hern stil - Der Gottlose dräuet - Der Herr kennt die Tage - Ich bin jung gewesen - Der gottlose sieht - Beware die frommigkeit
|
|
Stoltzer, Thomas
c.1480–1526
|
6 |
|
E saevo Gaspar miserarum turbine verum est
|
|
Piltz, Niclas
|
4 |
|
Esclair à mon esprit
|
|
Brouck, Jacob de
fl.1568–1583
|
6 |
|
Escoutes tous gentilz galloys la victoire du noble roy - Fan fan fan fere lere lan fan
|
|
Janequin, Clément
c.1485–after 1558
|
4 |
(I-Bc R.142)
Bologna, 1515-1530
(Partbook, MS)
#24
|
|
Attrib: Sebastianus gallus |
|
Canzoni, Frottole & capitoli da diver... (RISM 1531/4)
Canzoni, Frottole & capitoli da diversi Eccellentissimi Musici, con novi Canzoni agionti composti novamente & stampati Libro secondo de la Croce
Rome: Dorico, Valerio, 1531
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#18
|
|
Attrib: Clement Jannequin |
|
Chansonnier de Zeghere van Male (F-CA 125-8)
Cambrai, 1542
(Partbook, MS)
#18
|
|
Attrib: Clemens Jennekin |
Superius gives only instance of c1 clef in whole partbook set; Contratenor gives only instance of c3 clef |
Bourdenay codex (F-Pn 851)
Paris, c.1570-c.1599
(Score, MS)
#452
|
|
Attrib: Clement |
|
|
Escoutes tous gentilz galloys la victoire du noble roy - Fan fan fan fere lere lan fan
|
|
Verdelot, Philippe
c.1480-1485–?1530/1532
Janequin, Clément
c.1485–after 1558
|
5 |
Le dixiesme livre contenant la Batail... (RISM 1545/17)
Le dixiesme livre contenant la Bataille a quatre de Clemen t Iannequin, avecq la cinquiesme partie de Phili. Verdelot Si placet, et deux chasses de Lieure a quatre parties, & le Chant des oyseaux a troix
Antwerp: Susato, Tylman, 1545
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#1
|
|
Attrib: Clemens Jannequin, Verdelot |
with Quinta pars by Verdelot |
|
E se pur mi mantieni Amor
|
|
Rore, Cipriano de
1515/1516–1565
|
5 |
Il primo libro delle fiamme. Vaghi et... (RISM R2515)
Il primo libro delle fiamme. Vaghi et dilettevoli madrigali dell'eccell. musico, Cipriano Rore, a quattro et cinque voci, nuovamente ristampati, & con ogni diligenza corretti.
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1569
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Cipriano Rore |
|
|
Es follen wol Berge weichen
|
|
Meiland, Jacob
1542–1577
|
5 |
|
E s'io mi doglio Amore
|
|
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
6 |
|
E si per bizaria che regna
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Es ist kommen die Zeit
|
|
Brätel, Ulrich
c.1495–1544/1545
|
4 |
Suavissimae et iucundissimae harmonia... (RISM 1567/1)
Suavissimae et iucundissimae harmoniae: octo, quinque et quatuor vocum, ex duabis vocibus, a praesentissimis artificibus huius artis compositae, & nunc primum in lucem aeditae
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1567
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: Huldericus Braetel |
Tenor in Diatessaron, Discantus in Diatessaron |
|
Es leyt so hart on wart
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Es nascido
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|