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.: 166577
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB), Kinderchor, Melodie-Instrumente, Klavier
Score
Item no.: 143081
for: 2 mixed choirs (SSAB, ATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 194659
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 231831
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB / SAABar), [Basso continuo]
Score
Item no.: 236111
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 235985
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 230243
for: Mixed choir (SATB), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 423603
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 423339
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 422131
for: 5 (9 10 14) GES BC
Score
Item no.: 379363
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 115690
for: Choir
Gesamtausgabe, Singpartitur, Sammelband
Item no.: 116271
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1667166
for: Tenor saxophone, string orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 591374
for: Cello solo, string orchestra
Sheet music
Item no.: 591267
for: Chöre (SATB/SAB/SSA/TTBB) a cappella oder mit Klavierbegleitung
Music score
Item no.: 738782
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 3592
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 3535
for: Mixed choir (SSATB); basso continuo [organ] ad lib.
Score, part (pdf download)
Item no.: 3519
for: Mixed choir (SATB); basso continuo [organ] ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 4425
for: Voice (medium/low), basso continuo [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2755
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 327948
(Lob und Dank)
for: Mixed choir (SABar) a cappella
Music score
Item no.: 730068
for: Choir (2 voices), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 558731
Buch
Item no.: 873245
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 487851
for: Women's choir (AA) [2 solo voices]; organ ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 2792
Christmas Motet
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 681080
Zeitschrift für Spielmusik
for: 2 descant recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 414033
Sechs Weihnachtslieder für vier Blockflöten (AATB)
Flautando Edition
for: 4 recorders (AATB)
4 Performance scores
Item no.: 664658
Early Music Library 148
for: 4 voices [4 melodic instruments]
4 Performance scores
Item no.: 211880
for recorder orchestra
The Recorder Orchestra
for: Recorder ensemble
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 475572
Weihnachtliche Motette für achtstimmigen Doppelchor.
Für gemischten Chor, Blockflöten, Violen da Gamba oder andere Instrumente.
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1629067
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1667273
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 317188
for: Favorit choir (SATB), double chapell choirs (ATB/SATB), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 232085
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 231833
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 152751
for: Mixed choir (SATTB); basso continuo ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 365792
for: GCH (6) ORG
Score
Item no.: 392271
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB / SAABar), [Basso continuo]
Score
Item no.: 1658804
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 891118
for: 2 Singstimmen (ST), 4 Posaunen, Basso continuo, [Singstimmen Chor SATTB]
Score
Item no.: 229804
for: Soloists, 2 mixed choirs (SSATTB, SATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 633323
for: Choir
Gesamtausgabe, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 116273
for: Gemischte Chöre (2), Trompeten (2)
Score
Item no.: 114772
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 456357