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 |
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Febure, Jan Le
fl.1596–1612
|
5 |
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Straus, Christoph
c.1575–1631
|
9 |
Nova ac diversi moda sacrarum cantion... (RISM S6935)
Nova ac diversi moda sacrarum cantionum compositio, seu motetae, 5.6.7.8.9. & 10. tam vocibus quam instrumentis varijs (ut ad illas superius ac in indice annotatum est) maxime accommodatae ... liber primus, editio prima.
Vienna: Fidler, Johannes, 1613
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#33
|
|
Attrib: Christophoro Stravs |
|
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(P-Cug 48)
Coimbra, c.1556-1559
(Score, MS)
#12
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Ratti, Lorenzo
1589/1590–1630
|
5 |
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(I-TVd 7)
Treviso, 1558-1571
(Choirbook, MS)
#5
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(I-TVd 14)
Treviso, c.1560-1626
(Choirbook, MS)
#42
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Mantua, Jacquet de
1483–1559
|
5 |
Del primo libro de i motetti a cinque... (RISM J6)
Del primo libro de i motetti a cinque voci, dello eccellentissimo Iachet, Maestro di musica della capella del domo dell'illustrissimo signor Duca di Mantova. Novamente posti in luce. a Cinque voci
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1539
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#24
|
|
Attrib: Iachet |
|
Iachet musici suavissimi celeberrimiq... (RISM 1553/17 (J14))
Iachet musici suavissimi celeberrimique mvsices reverendissimi cardinalis Mantue magistri motecta quinque vocum
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1553
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#14
|
|
Attrib: Iachet |
|
Motetti di Iachet da Mantoa a cinque ... (RISM J21)
Motetti di Iachet da Mantoa a cinque voci libro secondo di novo ristampati
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1565
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#6
|
|
Attrib: Iachet da Mantoa |
|
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Conte, Bartholomeus le
fl.1547–1565
|
5 |
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Renaldo
|
4 |
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Anon
|
4 |
(I-TVd 14)
Treviso, c.1560-1626
(Choirbook, MS)
#13
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Haec dies - Quam fecit Dominus
|
|
Ghibel, Eliseo
c.1520–after 1581
|
5 |
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus - Alleluia Pascha nostrum
David Fraser (AATTB)
The Cardinall's Musick
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
5 |
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus - Confitemini Domino
|
|
Gombert, Nicolas
c.1495–c.1560
|
5 |
(I-Bc Q.27 Iº)
Bologna, c.1525-c.1550
(Partbook, MS)
#22
|
|
Attrib: gombert |
|
Quartus liber motettorum ad quinque e... (RISM 1539/5)
Quartus liber motettorum ad quinque et sex voces
Lyon: Moderne, Jacques, 1539
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: N. 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
#3
|
|
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
#16
|
|
Attrib: Nicolai Gomberti |
|
Bourdenay codex (F-Pn 851)
Paris, c.1570-c.1599
(Score, MS)
#440
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus - Confitemini Domino
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
Musica quinque vocum: motteta materna... (RISM 1543/2)
Musica quinque vocum: motteta materna lingua vocata
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1543
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Musica quinque vocum que motteta mate... (RISM 1549/6)
Musica quinque vocum que motteta materna lingua moteta vocatantur...
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#9
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus - Dextera Domini fecit virtutem
Francis Bevan (SAATB)
|
|
Werrecore, Hermann Matthias
c.1500–1574
|
5 |
Cantuum quinque vocum (quos motetta v... (RISM M1407)
Cantuum quinque vocum (quos motetta vocant) ... Liber primus
Milan: Moscheni, Francesco, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#11
|
|
Attrib: Hermanni Matthiae Werrecoren |
|
Thesauri musici tomus quartus contine... (RISM 1564/4)
Thesauri musici tomus quartus continens selectissimas quinque vocum harmonias, quas vulgo motetas vocant
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1564
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#4
|
|
Attrib: Matthias Hermannus VVerrecorn |
|
|
Haec dies quam fecit Dominus - Hodie nobis de caelo
|
|
Sarton, Joannes
|
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
#17
|
|
Attrib: Ioannes Sarton |
|
|
Haec die veneranda
|
|
Isaac, Heinrich
c.1450–1517
|
4 |
Tomus Secundus Choralis Constantini (... (RISM I90)
Tomus Secundus Choralis Constantini (ut vulgo vocant) continens partem primam Historiarum de sanctis, quae diebus festis in templis canuntur
Nuremberg: Formschneider, Hieronymus, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#45
|
|
Attrib: Henrici Isaac |
Sequence for Ss John & Paul |
|
Haec es arbor dignissima - O crux benedicta
|
|
Conflicting attributions
|
5 |
Liber septimus ecclesiasticarum canti... (RISM 1553/14)
Liber septimus ecclesiasticarum cantionum quinque vocum vulgo moteta vocant, tam ex Veteri quam ex Novo Testamento, ab optimis quibusque huius aetatis musicis compositarum antea nunquam excusus omnes de uno tono
Antwerp: Susato, Tylman, 1553
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#4
|
|
Attrib: Ian Louys, Clemens non Papa |
attrib. Ian Louys in index, but Clemens non Papa above the music. De sancta Cruce |
Quartus tomus evangeliorum quatuor qu... (RISM 1555/12)
Quartus tomus evangeliorum quatuor quinque sex et plurium vocum
Nuremberg: Berg, Adam and Neuber, Ulrich, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#23
|
|
Attrib: Clemens non Papa |
|
|
Haec est autem
|
|
Anon
|
5 |
(D-Sl 43)
Stuttgart, c.1540
(Choirbook, MS)
#11
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Haec est Beatissima
|
|
Bassano, Giovanni
c.1561–1617
|
12 |
Concerti ecclesiastici a cinque, sei,... (RISM B1234)
Concerti ecclesiastici a cinque, sei, sette, otto, & dodeci voci di Giovanni Bassano musico della Sereniss. Signoria di Venetia, et Maestro di Musica del Seminario di San Marco. Libro Secondo
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1599
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#20
|
|
Attrib: Giovanni Bassano |
|
|
Haec est dies
|
|
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
4 |
Secundus tomus ecclesiasticarum canti... (RISM P829)
Secundus tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a passionem Domini et salvatoris nostri Jesu Christiu usque ad primam Dominicam post Festum S. Trinitatis
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1573
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#65
|
|
Attrib: Leonartum Pamingerum |
|
|
Haec est dies
|
|
Merulo, Claudio
1533–1604
|
8 |
Corollarium cantionum sacrarum quinqu... (RISM 1590/5)
Corollarium cantionum sacrarum quinque, sex, septem, octo, et plurium vocum de festis praecipuis anni
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina, 1590
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#15
|
|
Attrib: Claudii Meruli |
|
Musica per concerti ecclesiastici di ... (RISM 1590/4)
Musica per concerti ecclesiastici di diversi autori
Venice: Vincenti, Giacomo, 1590
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#8
|
|
Attrib: Claudio Merulo |
|
Sacrorum concentum octonis den duoden... (RISM M2365)
Sacrorum concentum octonis den duodenis & sexdenis vocibus modulandorum. Liber Primus
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1594
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#4
|
|
Attrib: Clavdio Mervlo |
|
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)
#35
|
|
Attrib: Claudii Meruli |
|
|
Haec est dies
|
|
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
5 |
Primus tomus ecclesiasticarum cantion... (RISM P828)
Primus tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a prima dominica adventus, usque ad passionem Domini et salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich, 1573
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#140
|
|
Attrib: Leonartum Pamingerum |
|
|