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: 2 recorders (AT)
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 5719
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 5701
for: Mixed choir (STB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 5681
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5611
for: Mixed choir (ATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 5601
for: 4 recorders (AATB)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3615
for: Trombone, organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 3334
for: Mixed choir (SATB), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 3303
for: Tuba, piano
Score, 2 Single parts
Item no.: 1633472
for: Horn, piano
Score, 2 Single parts
Item no.: 1633466
for: Bassoon, piano
Score, 2 Single parts
Item no.: 1633462
for: Alto saxophone, organ
Score, 2 Single parts
Item no.: 1633461
for: Flute, organ
Score, 2 Single parts
Item no.: 1633455
for: Flexible ensemble (4 voices)
Sheet music
Item no.: 1210572
for: Voices, flexible ensemble (4 voices)
Sheet music
Item no.: 1210547
for: Voices, flexible ensemble (4 voices)
Sheet music
Item no.: 1210545
for: Descant (soprano) recorder [tenor recorder], basso continuo
Ensemble score, solo part
Item no.: 417829
for: Mixed choir (SSAB) a cappella
Sheet music
Item no.: 1130
for: Guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1128
for: 2 violins [recorders/cornets], basso continuo
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 4463
for: 2 violins, viola, cello; double bass ad lib.
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 4459
for: Male choir (TTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 2111
for: Women's choir (MezA) [male choir (BarB)], organ
Score
Item no.: 1947
for: Descant recorder
Sheet music
Item no.: 1825
for: 4 accordions
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 1605
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 231817
for: 5 instruments
Score, Parts
Item no.: 431865
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 897886
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 646481
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 409540
for: Violin [descant recorder/oboe], piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 282514
for: Sopran-Blockflöten (Violine), Viole (Violoncello) und Basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 314396
for: Singstimme, Instrument
Singpartitur, Spielpartitur
Item no.: 196026
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Chorpartitur, Sammelband
Item no.: 114629
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 329742
for: 2 GES-H 2 VL BC
Ensemble scores, vocal score, parts
Item no.: 116319
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 114925
for: 2. Viola
Stimme, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 874143
for: Gemischte Chöre (SATB) (2), Basso continuo
Gesamtausgabe, Chorpartitur, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 116998
for: Chor (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 880850
for: 4 guitars (quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 401625
for: Brass ensemble (6 voices)
Score (C), Parts
Item no.: 1684815
for: Trumpet (solo), trombone (solo), brass quintet
Score
Item no.: 1682152
for: 4 Guitars
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1136257
for: 5 recorders (SSATB)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1021510
for: 1–2 violins, piano; guitar ad lib.
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 301298
for: Voice, guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1015610
for: 2 trumpets (B-flat), 3 trombones [horn (F) , 2 trombones]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1713493