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: Voice, guitar [lute]
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 187572
for: Mixed choir (5–7 parts), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 676731
with an accompanying part for bass viol
for: 1–2 viole da gamba
Music score
Item no.: 767946
for: 5 recorders (SAATB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 355294
Chamber Music Of The Seventeenth Century 14
for: 2 violins [descant recorders/cornetts], basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 335081
Urtext Choral
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Music score (anthology), Playback-CD
Item no.: 555348
for: 3 recorders (SST)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 335452
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 1383729
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 935528
for: Piano [harpsichord/organ]
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 341776
für Altblockflöte solo
Reihe 11: Alte Musik für Blockflöte
for: Treble recorder
Music score
Item no.: 279142
The Art Of The Netherlanders
for: 3 melodic instruments
Item no.: 482225
Volume 2
12 Pieces for Descant Recorder and Continuo
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, basso continuo
Item no.: 182612
for: 4 saxophones (SATBar)
Item no.: 329926
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Item no.: 245688
for: 2 recorders (AT)
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 6371
for: Violin [cornett]
Sheet music
Item no.: 6323
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 4266
for: Soloists, 2 mixed choirs (SSATTB, SATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 477190
for: 2 trumpets (C/B-flat), 2 trombones (tenor, bass) [trumpet, 3 trombones (alto, tenor, bass)] (quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 1585
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2649
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 2497
Renaissance Music Prints 8
for: 2 voices [instruments]
Item no.: 478294
for: Brass ensemble (8 voices)
Score (C), Parts
Item no.: 315155
for: Voice, guitar
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 198572
8 Magnificat Cycles - 2 Chorale Fantasias
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 759765
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Item no.: 421149
The Keyboard Repertoire
for: CEMB (ORG MAN/KLAV)
Item no.: 339044
Favola in musica
Reprint of the first edition, Venice 1609 and from Act V of the Mantuan libretto 1607
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score (facsimile hardcover)
Item no.: 158594
Musica Rara
for: VL (TRP) POS BC
Item no.: 414277
Settings of secular melodies and dances - Works for lute
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck - Opera Omnia (SWE)
for: Harpsichord
Music score
Item no.: 217025
Aus "Tres libros de musica en cifras para vihuela",
Sevilla 1546. Tabulatur-Reproduktion mit Übertragung
for: Vihuela [guitar]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 413824
Ausgabe im Marschbuchformat
for: Brass ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1544007
Favola in musica in one prologue and five acts
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 489942
Girolamo Frescobaldi Il Primo Libro~Delle Canzoni 1
for: SBFL (VL) BC
Score, Parts
Item no.: 172215
for: Voice (tenor), flute, organ
Ensemble score
Item no.: 635511
for: Mixed choir (SAATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 368345
for: 5 recorders (quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 549985
for: SSAATTTTBB, Orchester
Klavierauszug
Item no.: 289252
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Music score
Item no.: 352347
for: 5 recorders (SAATB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 355274
for: 2 lutes
Ensemble score
Item no.: 293753
Complete Edition with Commentary
for: 4 melodic instruments
4 Performance scores
Item no.: 342974
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 564569
for: 5 recorders (SATTB)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3300
for: Descant recorder
Sheet music
Item no.: 1220
for: 2 violins [recorders/cornets], basso continuo
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 4746
for: 8 recorders (SSAATTBB)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 1925
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