The Renaissance saw the musical shackles of the Medieval Period being broken, and both secular and sacred music became livelier and more expressive, and through the developments of printed music, more widely available. Browse our sheet music and scores, and pick up a mass or a madrigal today!
The driving force of the Renaissance was humanism (from the Latin “hummanus” or human), the dogmas of the church were overturned by science, and art was inspired by antiquity and a new, harmonious worldview. Vocal polyphony was very much at the forefront of Renaissance music, and a desire for perfect form, and rational, logical sophistication emerged. In church music, the cyclic form of the Mass, Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei was still widely deployed, and musical settings of Motets, Litanies, Psalms and Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis broadened the congregation’s musical experience. Secular vocal music also developed through the madrigals, and polyphonic and unison songs.
In contrast to the Medieval Period, the Renaissance began with a new design principle, imitation. A short, lively theme moves from voice to voice, and the composer creates a counter-melody to compliment it. Elements from the Medieval however were still present, and the “cantus firmus” or fixed chant was often a device of choice in the Renaissance. The cantus firmus takes a theme from Gregorian Chant or Folk Music, but the composer uses augmentation, elongates the note values, and uses the cantus firmus as the harmonic basis for this polyphonic work. From here, the canon soon evolved, which was the clear precursor to the baroque fugue.
The Renaissance marked a big step in the development of instrumental music, and a significant move towards independence for solo instruments, and chamber groups. Traditionally instruments were used as accompaniment for choir or solo singing or for dance music, but through the Renaissance Period, pure instrumental solo or ensemble music became more and more popular. In particular, Renaissance Organ Music experienced a great boom due to the technical development of the instrument, and it was during the 16th century that more vocal instrumental music started emerging, and the first works featuring basso continuo were written.
for: Women's choir (SSAA) a cappella
Music score
Item no.: 761143
for: Flexible ensemble (4 voices)
Score
Item no.: 566327
for: Mixed choir, basso continuo
Item no.: 291848
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340250
for: Mixed choir (SSAATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 5702
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Sheet music
Item no.: 2328
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), organ [mixed choir (SATB), brass ensemble, organ]
Score, choir score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 1278
for: 2 gemischter Chor, Basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 377429
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 661347
Meister der Norddeutschen Orgelschule 35
Part 3: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Psalm, 6 Hymn cycles, 9 Magnificat cycles, 2 Modi ludendi pleno organo
for: Organ
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 630564
for: Gemischter Chor
Choir score
Item no.: 342102
for: 4 recorders (ATTB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 413787
German Magnificat
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 676717
for: 2 BL CH
Score
Item no.: 159064
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 236101
for: Mixed choir (SATB/SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 242960
for: 6 soloists (SSATTB), 3 mixed choirs (SATB, SSAT, ATBarB), instruments colla parte, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 424267
for: A Capella Mixed Voices
Choir score
Item no.: 870557
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 224926
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 315068
for: Gemischte Chöre (3), Orchester
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116316
for: SATB, Brass Instruments, String Instruments, Organ Accompaniment
Score
Item no.: 550495
for: Choir
Gesamtausgabe, Partitur, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 116272
for: Mixed choir (SAB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 1024927
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 628229
for: Mixed choir (SATB); instruments ad lib.
Ensemble score
Item no.: 409310
nach dem Kanon "Ave Maria"
for: Mixed choir (SABar), organ
Music score
Item no.: 722947
for: Euphonium, strings
Sheet music
Item no.: 591344
for: Voice, strings
Score, Parts
Item no.: 327884
for: gemischter Chor (SSATTB, 1. Tenor kann vom Alt übernommen werden)
Choir score
Item no.: 478078
for: Violin, piano
Instrumental Solo & Piano Accompaniment
Item no.: 1543714
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1380338
for: Singstimme (mittel), 2 Violinen, Orgel (2 Trompeten ad libitum)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 153772
for: Descant recorder
Sheet music
Item no.: 1459
for: 3 voices (SAB) [mixed choir (SAB)], basso continuo
Score, part (pdf download)
Item no.: 1382
for: 2 trumpets (C/B-flat), 2 trombones (quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 6090
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 2819
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 4115
Neuinstrumentierung (2001)
for: Mixed choir (SATB), instruments
Choir score
Item no.: 690346
für 2 gem Chöre, Streicher und Bc, Stimmen Ein Kind geborn zu Bethlehem
for: Favorit choir (SSB), chapell choir (SATB), strings, basso continuo
Set of parts
Item no.: 1657304
Geistliches Konzert
Hoch rühmt und ehrt meine Seele Gott den Herrn
for: Favorit choir (SATB), double chapell choirs (ATB/SATB), orchestra
Choir score
Item no.: 232086
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 674035
für Sopran oder Tenor oder Melodieinstrument (C,B,Es,F) solo
for: Voice [melody instrument (C/B-flat/E-flat/F)], concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 667760
Motet a 15
aus den "Symphoniae sacrae" Nr. 25
Eulenburg Octavo Edition
for: 2 mixed choirs, wind ensemble, organ
Choir score (Choir 2)
Item no.: 1355116
for: GES-T 2 VL (ABFL) BC
Score
Item no.: 277405
for: 4 recorders (quartet)
Score
Item no.: 142832
for: Mixed choir, piano
Score
Item no.: 138737