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 a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 204037
for: Voice, concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 589286
for: 4 trumpets, 2 horns [horn, trombone], 2 trombones, tuba
Score, Parts
Item no.: 597423
for: Tuba, string orchestra
Sheet music
Item no.: 596952
for: Piano
Piano Solo
Item no.: 1589669
Weihnachtsmotette
for: 3 gleiche oder gemischte Stimmen (SAA oder SAT)
Chorpartitur mit untergelegtem Klavierauszug
Item no.: 751598
for: Mixed choir (SAATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 5693
for: Mixed choir (ATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 6089
for: Voice (high), basso continuo; organ ad lib.
Sheet music
Item no.: 2753
for: 2 recorders (SA)
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 2490
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1339527
Motet
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB) a cappella
Choir score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1549899
Schlusschor aus der Weihnachtshistorie
for: 3-stimmiger gemischter Chor (SABar), Bläser o. Streicher, Bc.
Music score
Item no.: 722945
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 475189
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Item no.: 429523
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1667766
Christmas Settings for Vocal and Instrumental Ensemble
for: Mixed ensemble (6 voices)
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 569505
Weihnachtsmotette
aus "Paradisus musicus"
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Choir score
Item no.: 335219
Zeitschrift fuer Spielmusik
for: 2 recorders (ST)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 413927
aus: Magnificat octo tonorum
for: 4 voices [mixed choir], (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 423725
Hinshaw Concert
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Choir score
Item no.: 1057187
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1658282
for: 4 voices [mixed choir], (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 238231
for: Singstimme (S), gemischter Chor (SSATB) Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 456365
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Score
Item no.: 191613
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 798376
for: Choir (2 voices) a cappella
2 Scores
Item no.: 489617
for: BFL (2-5)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 414009
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 413764
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
aus: Musae Sioniae I, 1605
for: Mixed choir (SSAATTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 294638
for: Women's choir (SSAA) a cappella
Music score
Item no.: 732947
"Magnificat" (Lukas 1, 46-55)
for: gemischter Chor (SAAB/ATBB/TBBB)
Choir score
Item no.: 751765
for: Clarinet, string orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 591313
for: Trombone, string orchestra
Sheet music
Item no.: 596936
for: 2 mixed choirs (SSAB, SATB); 3 cornetts, 5 trombones (colla parte) ad lib.
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 5429
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Sheet music
Item no.: 1436
for: Women's choir (SA) [2 solo voices]; organ ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 2791
for: Sopran solo, Alte solo (3), Tenöre solo (3), Bässe solo (3), Gemischter Chor: SSATTB, Alt-Blockflöten (2), Fagott, Trompeten (2), Posaunen (2), Streicher, Basso continuo
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 196700
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1661546
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 204885
Wittenberg 1529
for: Mixed choir (SABar) a cappella
Music score
Item no.: 725381
for: Trumpet (C/B-flat), organ
Item no.: 281872
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340383
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 557263
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 616173
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 370921
Neuinstrumentierung (2001)
for: Mixed choir (SATB), instruments
Bass guitar (single part)
Item no.: 690349