Thanks to the integration of a new data model, sources are now described in more detail both formally and substantively. The browsing and search functions have also been greatly expanded. For instance, you can now filter by collection, by category (plainchant/polyphony/texts), or by format (choirbook/partbook/fragment), as well as by origin, provenance (later repositories), material (paper/parchment), or illuminations. Sources containing polyphonic compositions are now also inventoried in detail with a direct link to the digital object.

A simple mouse click directs the user to the chosen composition or to the respective image. Concordances are also taken into account: you can view the same composition in several sources, which facilitates comparative study. Additionally, it is now possible to select according to composer, musical genre, or the number of voices of a composition. 

Meanwhile, we are working on the further development of IDEM: soon we will continue this update with the detailed description of plainchant sources, while printed sources will also be digitized and described. Moreover, we are working on the integration of other tools that will facilitate the study of music from the Low Countries, such as texts and audio recordings.

By offering primary sources and secondary material under one umbrella, we aim to help musicologists, literary and art historians, performers, and practitioner-researchers to study and disseminate this valuable heritage.

Discover the update of the Integrated Database for Early Music. Creating an account is required to access the digital images.