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 |
Ne l'aria in questi di fatt'ho un sì
|
|
Rore, Cipriano de
1515/1516–1565
|
4 |
|
Ne la stagion ch'el ciel - Come il sol volge - Quando ved'el pastor - E'i naviganti
|
|
Wert, Giaches de
1535–1596
|
5 |
|
Nel bel giardin entrate - Ma pria odorate
|
|
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
#46
|
|
Attrib: Andrea Gabrieli |
|
Liber secundus Gemma musicalis: Selec... (RISM 1589/8)
Liber secundus Gemma musicalis: Selectissimas varii stili cantiones, quae madrigali et napolitane Italis dicuntur, quatuor, quinque, sex & plurimum vocum, continens
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina and Lindner, Friedrich, 1589
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#16
|
|
Attrib: Andrea Gabrieli |
|
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
#106
|
|
Attrib: Andre Gabrieli |
|
|
Nel dolce seno della bella Clori - Perche l'una e l'altra alma
|
|
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
6 |
|
Nel dolce seno - Quand' ella ahime - O fortunati
|
|
Pallavicino, Benedetto
c.1551–1601
|
6 |
Sambrook book (US-NYp Drexel 4302)
London: Tregian, Francis (ii), 1613-1619
(Score, MS)
RISM
#194
|
|
Attrib: Benedetto Pallavicino |
|
|
Ne l'hora che dal ciel
|
|
Ferrabosco, Domenico Maria
1513–1574
|
4 |
|
Ne livor urat aemulus - Perfer modeste - Clam rete nectit impius - Praestat suppellex sobria - Sic hostis impius Dei - Puer fui - Justus beata ingera - Vidi potentes impios - At prompta semper laedere
|
|
Servin, Jean
c.1530–after 1595
|
5 |
|
Nel partir del mio ben
|
|
Perissone, Cambio
c.?1520–c.1562
|
4 |
|
Nel piu bel di che mai - Veduto a pien le spalle
|
|
Monte, Philippe de
1521–1603
|
6 |
|
Nel più fiorit'e dilettoso maggio
|
|
Conversi, Girolamo
c.1550–after 1575
|
5 |
|
Nel piu fiorito Aprile
|
|
Marenzio, Luca
1553/1554–1599
|
6 |
Il primo libro de madrigali a sei voc... (RISM M501)
Il primo libro de madrigali a sei voci. Novamente ristampato
Venice: Gardano, Angelo, 1584
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#8
|
|
Attrib: Luca Marenzio |
|
Liber secundus Gemma musicalis: Selec... (RISM 1589/8)
Liber secundus Gemma musicalis: Selectissimas varii stili cantiones, quae madrigali et napolitane Italis dicuntur, quatuor, quinque, sex & plurimum vocum, continens
Nuremberg: Gerlach, Katharina and Lindner, Friedrich, 1589
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#20
|
|
Attrib: Luca Marenzio |
|
Sambrook book (US-NYp Drexel 4302)
London: Tregian, Francis (ii), 1613-1619
(Score, MS)
RISM
#112
|
|
Attrib: Marenzio |
|
|
Nel tempo che rinova - Vago d'udir novelle
|
|
Wert, Giaches de
1535–1596
|
7 |
Il secondo libro de' madrigali a cinq... (RISM W860)
Il secondo libro de' madrigali a cinque voci di Giaches de VVert novamente posti in luce et da lui proprio corretti
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1561
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#13
|
|
Attrib: Giaches de VVert |
Capitolo del trionfo d'Amore |
|
Ne me furoris aestuante - Veteris cicatrix - Dominator orbis - At prompta semper - In te reposita est spes mea - Merui scelestus fateor
|
|
Servin, Jean
c.1530–after 1595
|
4 |
|
Ne memineris Domine
Francis Bevan (SATTB)
|
|
Dentice, Scipione
1560–1635
|
5 |
|
Nemo est urbe magis
|
|
Kerle, Jacobus de
1531/1532–1591
|
4 |
|
Nemo potest duobus Dominus
|
|
Gannss, Wolfgang
|
8 |
(D-Sl 13)
c.1577
(Choirbook, MS)
#8
|
|
Attrib: Wolfgangy Gannss |
|
|
Nemo potest duobus Dominus - Propterea dico vobis
|
|
Louys, Jean
c.1530–1563
|
5 |
Liber nonus ecclesiasticarum cantionu... (RISM 1554/9)
Liber nonus ecclesiasticarum cantionum quinque vocum vulgo moteta vocant, tam ex Veteri quam ex Novo testamento, ab optimis quibusque huius atatis Musicis compositarum. Omnes de uno tono Antea nunquam excusus
Antwerp: Susato, Tylman, 1554
(Partbook, Print)
#15
|
|
Attrib: Ioannes Louuys |
|
|
Nemo potest venire ad me - Ego sum panis vitae
|
Trinity |
Zarlino, Gioseffo
1517–1590
|
5 |
Musici quinque vocum moduli, motecta ... (RISM Z99)
Musici quinque vocum moduli, motecta vulgo nuncupata opus nunquam alias typis excusum, ac nuper accuratissime in lucem aeditum. Liber Primus
Venice: Gardano, Antonio, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#3
|
|
Attrib: Iosephi Zarlini |
|
Primo libro de motetti a cinque voci ... (RISM 1549/7)
Primo libro de motetti a cinque voci da diversi eccellentissimi musici composti et non piu stampati, novamente posti in luce, et con somma diligentia coretti. Come a' cantanti serà manifesto.
Venice: Scotto, Girolamo, 1549
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#17
|
|
Attrib: Zerlinus |
|
Tertius tomus evangeliorum quatuor qu... (RISM 1555/11)
Tertius tomus evangeliorum quatuor quinque sex et plurium vocum continens historias et doctrinam, quae in ecclesia proponi solet: de Trinitate, de Dedicatione Templi, De coena Domini
Nuremberg: Berg, Johann and Neuber, Ulrich, 1555
(Partbook, Print)
RISM
#5
|
|
Attrib: Zerlinus |
|
|
Nemo te condemnavit
|
|
Lambardi, Girolamo
fl.1586–1623
|
4 |
|
Nemo te condemnavit mulier
|
|
Cardoso, Manuel
1566–1650
|
5 |
Livro de varios motetes, officio da s... (RISM C1042)
Livro de varios motetes, officio da semana santa e outras cousas
Lisbon: Craesbeeck, Laurenco, 1648
(Choirbook, Print)
RISM
#17
|
|
Attrib: Fr. Manoel Cardoso |
|
|
Nenccioza
|
|
Martini, Johannes
c.1430-1440–1497
|
4 |
|
Nenciozza mia
|
|
Japart, Jean
fl.1476–1481
|
4 |
|
Ne penses pas mesdisans envieulx
|
|
Lys, F. de
|
4 |
|
Ne perdas cum impiis - Eripe me
Francis Bevan (ATTTB)
The Cardinall's Musick
|
|
Byrd, William
c.1540–1623
|
5 |
|
Ne per gratia giamai
|
|
Verdelot, Philippe
c.1480-1485–?1530/1532
|
4 |
|