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 |
Maria virgo semper laetare - Te laudant angeli atque archangeli
|
BVM |
Conflicting attributions
|
4 |
Motetti de la corona Libro secondo (RISM 1519/1)
Fossombrone: Petrucci, Ottaviano, 1519
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#20
|
|
Attrib: Io. mouton |
|
Motetti de la Corona Libro secondo (RISM 1526/2)
Rome: Giunta, Giacomo, 1526
(Choirbook, MS)
RISM
#20
|
|
Attrib: Io. mouton |
|
Anne Boleyn Music book (GB-Lcm 1070)
London, 1533-1536
(Choirbook, MS)
#28
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
Textless |
Liber primus quinque et viginti music... (RISM 1534/3)
Liber primus quinque et viginti musicales quatuor vocum
Paris: Attaingnant, Pierre, 1534
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#10
|
|
Attrib: Gascongne |
|
|
Maria virgo semper laetare - Veni sponsa Christi
|
BVM |
Barbion, Eustachius
c.1515–1556
|
5 |
|
Maria virgo virginum
|
BVM |
Gardano, Antonio
1509–1569
|
4 |
Primus liber cum quatuor vocibus. Mot... (RISM 1539/13)
Primus liber cum quatuor vocibus. Mottetti del frutto a quatro
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1539
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: A. Gardane |
|
Excellentiss. autorum diverse modulat... (RISM 1549/10)
Excellentiss. autorum diverse modulationes que sub titulo fructus vagantur per orbem ab Antonio Gardane nuper recognite. Liber primus cum quatuor vocibus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: A. Gardane |
|
Excellentiss. autorum diverse modulat... (RISM 1549/10a)
Excellentiss. autorum diverse modulationes que sub titulo fructus vagantur per orbem ab Antonio Gardane nuper recognite & edite. Liber primus cum quatuor vocibus
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: A. Gardane |
|
Motetti del frutto a quatro voci. Li... (RISM 1562/2)
Motetti del frutto a quatro voci. Libro primo. Novamente coretti e stampati.
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1562
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: A. Gardane |
|
|
Mari je songeois l'aultre jour
|
|
Jacotin
|
4 |
|
Marta che debb'io far
|
|
Costa, Gasparo
fl.1580–1590
|
5 |
|
Marte superbo io veggio
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
6 |
|
Martha solicita es et turbaris erga plurima
|
|
Reiner, Jacob
before 1560–1606
|
5 |
|
Martinae celebri
|
St Martin |
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da
c.1525–1594
|
4 |
Hymni sacri in breviario Romano S.D.N... (RISM P741)
Hymni sacri in breviario Romano S.D.N. Urbani papae VIII auctoritate recogniti et cantu musico pro praecipuis anni festivitatibus expressi
Antwerp: Moreti, Balthasar and Plantin, Christophe, 1644
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#37
|
|
Attrib: Io Petri Aloysii Praenestini |
|
|
Martine pastor optime - Sacerdos Dei Martine
|
St Martin |
Anon
|
4 |
(E-SI 21)
Santo Domingo de Silos
(Choirbook, MS)
#10
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Martini festum celebremus - Plebs igitur concors
Pothárn Imre
|
St Martin |
Lassus, Orlande de
c.1532–1594
|
5 |
MS bound at end of collection of prin... (D-As Tonk.Sch. 273-278)
MS bound at end of collection of prints [L815,L833,L816,L832,L820,L851]
(Partbook, MS)
#32
|
|
Attrib: Orlan: di Las |
|
Cantionum, quas mutetas vocant, opus ... (RISM L857)
Cantionum, quas mutetas vocant, opus novum Prima Pars
Munich: Berg, Adam, 1573
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
Magnum opus musicum ... Complectens o... (RISM L1019)
Magnum opus musicum ... Complectens omnes cantiones quas motetas vulgo vocant, tam antea editas quam hactenus nondum publicatas II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. IIX. IX. X. XII. vocum a Ferdinando serenissimi bavariae ducis maximiliani musicorum praefecto, & Rudolpho, eidem Principi ab Organis; Authoris filiis summo studio collectum, & impensis eorundem Typis mandatum
Munich: Heinrich, Nikolaus, 1604
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#206
|
|
Attrib: Orlandi de Lasso |
|
|
Martin menoit son porceau au marché
|
|
Janequin, Clément
c.1485–after 1558
|
4 |
|
Martin Menoit son porceau au marché
|
|
Sermisy, Claudin de
c.1490–1562
|
4 |
|
Martin s en alla au lendit
|
|
Certon, Pierre
d.1572
|
4 |
|
Martinus Abrahae
|
St Martin |
Anon
|
4 |
Moralis Hispani, et multorum eximiae ... (RISM 1543/5)
Moralis Hispani, et multorum eximiae artis virorum, musica cum vocibus quatuor, vulgo motecta cognominata
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1543
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#17
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
Morales Hispani et multorum eximiae a... (RISM 1546/9)
Morales Hispani et multorum eximiae artis virorum musica cum vocibus quatuor vulgo motecta cognominata
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1546
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#4
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
(P-Cug 48)
Coimbra, c.1556-1559
(Score, MS)
#68
|
|
Attrib: Anon |
|
|
Martinus Abrahae - Martinus episcopus migravit
|
St Martin |
Court, Henri de la
d.1577
|
5 |
|
Martinus Abrahae sinu
|
|
Phinot, Dominique
c.1510–c.1556
|
5 |
|
Martinus Abrahae sinu letus
|
St Martin |
Resinarius, Balthasar
c.1485–1544
|
4 |
Responsoriorum numero octoginta de te... (RISM R1196)
Responsoriorum numero octoginta de tempore et festis iuxta seriem totius anni, Libri duo, Primus de Christo, & reno eius, Doctrina, Vita, Passione, Resurretione & Ascensione. Alter, de sanctis, & illorum in Christum fide & Cruce
Wittenberg: Rhau, Georg, 1543
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#72
|
|
Attrib: Baltasare Resinario |
|
|
Martinus Episcopus
|
St Martin |
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
5 |
Tertius tomus ecclesiasticarum cantio... (RISM P830)
Tertius tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a prima dominica post festum S. Trrinitatis, usque ad primam Dominicam Adventus Domini et Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi. His commune de Sanctis Ecclesiae Dei, et quaedam Fragmenta ex canticis Canticorum salomonis, accesserunt.
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich and Gerlach, Katharina, 1576
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#181
|
|
Attrib: Leonarto Pamingero |
|
|
Martinus quondam
|
St Martin |
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
5 |
Tertius tomus ecclesiasticarum cantio... (RISM P830)
Tertius tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a prima dominica post festum S. Trrinitatis, usque ad primam Dominicam Adventus Domini et Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi. His commune de Sanctis Ecclesiae Dei, et quaedam Fragmenta ex canticis Canticorum salomonis, accesserunt.
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich and Gerlach, Katharina, 1576
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#182
|
|
Attrib: Leonarto Pamingero |
|
|
Martyr Dei qui unicum patris
|
|
Sheppard, John
c.1515–1558
|
6 |
|
Martyr Dei qui unicum patris
|
|
Ballestra, Reimundo
d.1634
|
7 |
Sacrae symphoniae ... septem, octo, d... (RISM B769)
Sacrae symphoniae ... septem, octo, decem, duodecim vocibus, liber primus, editio nova
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1611
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#7
|
|
Attrib: Reimvndi Ballestrae |
|
|
Martyr insignis Margaret
|
St Margaret |
Paminger, Leonhard
1495–1567
|
4 |
Tertius tomus ecclesiasticarum cantio... (RISM P830)
Tertius tomus ecclesiasticarum cantionum, quatuor, quinque, sex, et plurium vocum, a prima dominica post festum S. Trrinitatis, usque ad primam Dominicam Adventus Domini et Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi. His commune de Sanctis Ecclesiae Dei, et quaedam Fragmenta ex canticis Canticorum salomonis, accesserunt.
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Dietrich and Gerlach, Katharina, 1576
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#149
|
|
Attrib: Leonarto Pamingero |
|
|
Ma seule dame
|
|
Anon
|
3 |
|
Ma so ben Signor mio
|
|
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da
c.1525–1594
|
5 |
|
Mass 'Be not afraide'
|
|
Sheppard, John
c.1515–1558
|
4 |
|