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: Mixed choir (SST), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 229677
for: Choral
Buch
Item no.: 835300
for: Voice
Choir score
Item no.: 836497
for: Double Bass Quartet
Score, Parts
Item no.: 962741
for: Choir
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 992519
for: Choir (2 voices), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 992450
for: Latin percussion
Music score
Item no.: 992354
for: 4 Mixed Voices
Book
Item no.: 993196
for: Guitar
Score
Item no.: 259387
for: A Cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1003085
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Item no.: 379448
for: Mixed choir (SABar) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 281851
for: Mixed choir, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 279199
for: Mixed choir (SABar) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1168557
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 1032132
for: 5 voices
Music score
Item no.: 777812
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 309655
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 309633
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 309614
for: Classical
Score
Item no.: 254116
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 383932
for: 3 voices [melodic instruments]
Score
Item no.: 1015549
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 423269
for: 3 voices (SST), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 464915
for: Women's choir (SA) [mixed choir (SABar)]
Score
Item no.: 425383
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 769432
for: 2 trumpets, 2 trombones (quartet)
Score
Item no.: 580539
Score
Item no.: 559896
for: Mixed choir (SATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 387879
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 876924
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 287193
DTB: Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Bayern Neue Folge Bd. 12 (Gesamtausgabe) (Complete edition)
Book
Item no.: 229367
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 1625707
Choir score
Item no.: 1625654
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1026726
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 1212581
for: 4 Guitars
Book
Item no.: 820457
for: Guitar or Lute
Score
Item no.: 412802
for: Guitar or Lute
Score
Item no.: 412525
for: 4-Part Choir a Cappella
Score
Item no.: 851307
for: Choir a Cappella
Score
Item no.: 851973
for: Choir a Cappella
Score
Item no.: 851771
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 115057