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: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 4571
for: Mixed choir (SABar); piano ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 777344
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 745479
for: Descant recorder
Sheet music
Item no.: 3124
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), basso continuo
Score, part (pdf download)
Item no.: 3123
for: Mixed choir (SAABar) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 3103
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 3081
for: 2 trumpets (C/B-flat), horn (F), 3 trombones (tbb) (sextet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3065
for: 2 trumpets (C/B-flat), horn (F), 3 trombones (tbb) (sextet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3037
for: 2 trumpets (C), trombone (trio)
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 3032
for: 2 trumpets (C/B-flat), horn (F), trombone (quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 2995
for: 2 trumpets (C/B-flat), 2 trombones (quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 2891
for: 4 recorders (AATB/ATTB)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 2795
for: 2 violins, viola, cello; double bass ad lib.
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 2794
for: Trombone [bassoon], piano
Piano score, Solo part (pdf download)
Item no.: 2767
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 2509
for: 2 trumpets (B-flat), 3 trombones (tenor, 2 bass) [horn (F), 2 bass trombones] (quintet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 2429
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 2418
for: Descant recorder
Sheet music
Item no.: 1458
for: Oboe, cor anglais
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 1428
for: 2 trumpets (C/B-flat), horn (F), trombone (quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3617
for: 2 violins, basso continuo [organ]
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3566
for: Mixed choir (SATB) [soloists satb], organ
Score
Item no.: 3470
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 3381
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 3337
for: 5 recorders (SATTB)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3179
for: 2 trumpets (C/B-flat), 3 trombones; basso continuo ad lib.
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3155
for: 2 mixed choirs (ssat/satb); basso continuo ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 4256
for: 2 trumpets (C/B-flat), 2 trombones (quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 4139
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3981
for: Trumpet (C/B-flat), 3 trombones
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3919
for: Recorder, piano
Score, 2 Single parts
Item no.: 1633481
for: Tuba, organ
Score, 2 Single parts
Item no.: 1633473
for: Trumpet, piano
Score, 2 Single parts
Item no.: 1633464
for: 3 trumpets, organ
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1631810
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Sheet music
Item no.: 1131
for: 4 trumpets, 4 trombones
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1108774
for: Flute, guitar
Ensemble score, online audio
Item no.: 302497
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 401605
for: 4 trumpets, horn, 4 trombones, tuba, percussion
Score (C), Parts
Item no.: 967029
for: Brass ensemble (10 parts)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 966947
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 317373
for: SSAATTBB
Choir score
Item no.: 900778
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 899328
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 898955
for: Tenor Trombone Duet
Buch
Item no.: 974055
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 935109
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 935018