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Earliest Known Polyphonic Music Discovered: 900 AD Composition Rewrites Music History

cultural-heritage · 2026-08-04

In 2014, Giovanni Varelli, who was a PhD student at St John's College, Cambridge and is currently an Associate Professor of Musicology at the University of Pavia, identified what is thought to be the earliest known example of polyphonic music, dating back to approximately 900 AD. This composition, honoring Saint Boniface, Germany's patron saint, was located at the conclusion of a manuscript detailing the Life of Bishop Maternianus of Reims. This finding predates The Winchester Troper, the previous earliest known polyphonic work from around 1000 AD. Varelli's expertise in early music notation allowed him to identify the piece, which utilized a primitive notation system preceding the stave's invention. Notably, it reflects a departure from the established rules of early polyphonic composition, suggesting that music was evolving during this period. Varelli stated that the principles in this work laid the groundwork for Western music's evolution over the next millennium. The piece has been performed by St John's undergraduates Quintin Beer and John Clapham. Nicolas Bell, a former curator at the British Library, remarked that the manuscript's unusual symbols were incomprehensible when it was first cataloged in the 18th century. Cambridge University reported this discovery.

Key facts

  • Giovanni Varelli discovered the earliest known practical example of polyphonic music in 2014.
  • The composition dates to around 900 AD, predating The Winchester Troper (c. 1000 AD).
  • The piece was found at the end of a manuscript of the Life of Bishop Maternianus of Reims.
  • It is written in praise of Saint Boniface, patron saint of Germany.
  • Varelli was a PhD student at St John's College, Cambridge, at the time; he is now Associate Professor of Musicology at the University of Pavia.
  • The music uses an early form of notation that predates the invention of the stave.
  • The discovery shows a deviation from the conventions laid out in treatises at the time.
  • The piece is performed by St John's undergraduates Quintin Beer and John Clapham.
  • Former British Library curator Nicolas Bell commented on the manuscript's unusual symbols.
  • Varelli's specialization in early music notation helped him recognize the piece.

Entities

Artists

  • Giovanni Varelli
  • Quintin Beer
  • John Clapham
  • Nicolas Bell

Institutions

  • St John's College, Cambridge
  • University of Pavia
  • Cambridge University
  • British Library

Locations

  • Germany
  • Reims
  • Durham, NC

Sources