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 (SABar) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 339259
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 309646
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 141567
for: SOLI GCH (5) 2 VL BC
Score
Item no.: 135099
for: gemischter Chor (SSATB) mit Streichern
Score
Item no.: 101583
for: Brass ensemble (5 parts), percussion
Score, Parts
Item no.: 839160
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 774178
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Music score
Item no.: 324867
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 909349
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 870924
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 869740
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Choir score
Item no.: 878782
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 893304
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 894539
for: Choir (2 voices), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 881090
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 901981
for: Mixed choir (SSAT) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 908602
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 131388
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 131380
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 131372
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 131341
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 907526
for: String orchestra
Book
Item no.: 884695
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 877523
for: Women's choir (SSA), organ
Score
Item no.: 1041100
for: Coro SSATB, [SATB/SATB], 8 Instr. ad lib., Bc
Score
Item no.: 665321
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 665016
for: 1–3 voices, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 223965
for: SATB and Orchestra
Score
Item no.: 836822
for: Chor SAATBB
Score
Item no.: 1338241
for: SSATB
Score
Item no.: 1338205
for: Chor SSAM
Score
Item no.: 1337795
Score
Item no.: 1337195
for: Choir
Score
Item no.: 1336817
for: Chor SSATB, Theorbe, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 1336799
for: Choir
Score
Item no.: 1336790
for: Choir
Score
Item no.: 1336781
for: Choir
Score
Item no.: 1336757
for: Soli SSTTB, Gemischter Chor (SATB), Violinen (2), Posaunen (3), Basso continuo (Soli SSTTB, Violinen (2), Basso continuo), (Soli SSTTB, Violinen (2), Posaunen (3), Basso continuo), (Soli SSTTB, Gemischter Chor (SATB), Violinen (2), Basso continuo)
Score
Item no.: 1336722
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1338448
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340294
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340249
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340207
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340198
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340191
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340138
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), organ
Score
Item no.: 1339965
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1339858
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