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: Soloist (soprano), mixed choir (SSATB), organ [piano]
Choir score
Item no.: 840961
Libro de musica de vihuela de mano 1535
Fantasien 14-22
for: Vihuela [guitar/piano]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 392983
Miserere, Benedictus, Dies irae
Série IV: Motets, Volume 3
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score (Hardcover)
Item no.: 668206
for: Voice, guitar
Music score (reprint)
Item no.: 780533
op. 26
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 1629123
for: 4 recorders (ATTB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 245694
Collegium Musicum - Kölner Reihe Alter Musik
for: Violin, basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 620622
"Collection pour grand orgue"
D'apres la = Declaracion de Instrumentos Musicales 1555
for: Organ
Music score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 639199
for: SATB
Choir score
Item no.: 174434
Flanders Recorder Quartet presents / 9
for: 4 recorders (AATB)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 479025
for: Piano [harpsichord/organ]
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 367708
for: Piano [harpsichord/organ]
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 365753
Kurtzweilig Quotlibet aus "Libro delle Pavane..."
for: String orchestra, basso continuo
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 419059
Easy chamber musi from the 16th, 17th and 8th century
for: 3 recorders (SAT)
Ensemble score (anthology)
Item no.: 418917
Score
Item no.: 549813
for: 2 lutes
Ensemble score (Sheet music, TABs)
Item no.: 293751
for: Mixed choir (SATB), 2 violins [treble recorders], basso continuo
Score, part (pdf download)
Item no.: 4232
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2900
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 324329
for: 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba (quintet)
Score (C), Parts
Item no.: 279934
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 240023
for: Alt solo, Basso continuo
Singpartitur, Stimme, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 178513
for: Viola da gamba, harpsichord
Score, Parts
Item no.: 231443
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3107
Dances, Polish Songs, Untitled, and Unidentified Works
Volume 5
Corpus Of Early Keyboard Music 6
Bound copy temporarily out of stock!
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score
Item no.: 625996
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1037921
First complete edition with full commentary
for: Descant recorder
Music score
Item no.: 200592
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 186332
for: Mixed choir (SAATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 284037
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 299756
Aus "Premier livre de tabulature de guiterre"
Paris 1551. Tabulatur-Reproduktion mit Übertragung
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 433986
Complete Guitar Works - Urtext for Guitar Volume 1
New Revised Edition
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 682558
Suiten Nr. 7 (c-moll/C-dur) und 8 (d-moll) (komplett) (complete)
for: Descant (soprano) recorder [tenor recorder], basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 210187
for: VL (OB/FL) POS (VC/FAG/VDG) BC (+ KB)
Score
Item no.: 297786
for: Harpsichord [organ]
Music score
Item no.: 694476
for: 2 violins [recorders/cornets], basso continuo
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 6086
for: 2 guitars
Sheet music, audio files
Item no.: 1433
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Sheet music
Item no.: 3270
The Beginners' collection
for: Recorder
Music score
Item no.: 330050
for: Harpsichord [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1154
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 686609
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 239986
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, harpsichord
Ensemble score
Item no.: 215179
Pieces from the 16th to the 18th Century
New Edition in one volume
for: Treble recorder
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 351620
for: Voice, guitar [lute]
Score
Item no.: 248181
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, basso continuo
Piano score, solo part, playback-CD
Item no.: 491047
Music lesson book (hardcover)
Item no.: 361277
für Sopran (Tenor) und Bc
for: Voice (high), basso continuo
Music score
Item no.: 281996