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: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 466349
for: Organ
14 music scores
Item no.: 495775
for: 3 bass recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 366240
(Urtext)
for: Soloists, 2 mixed choirs (SSATTB, SATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 614408
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 117765
Anthology from Vincenzo Capirola's Lute Book
(1517)
for: Lute
Music score
Item no.: 1559439
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, basso continuo
Piano score, solo part, online audio (playback) (anthology)
Item no.: 604425
Variations on Songs and Dances
Breitkopf Urtext
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 304381
for: 5 INST (VL/VDG/BFL)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 464436
for: 2 Bass Instruments and Basso Continuo
Book
Item no.: 585615
for: 3 melodic instruments
Score, Parts
Item no.: 585244
Libro de musica de vihuela de mano 1535
Tientos 1-4, Fantasien 34-40
for: Vihuela [guitar/piano]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 392984
bearbeitet für Streichorchester
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 419435
for: Blockflötenquartett (AATB/ATTB/SATB/STTB)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 470085
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 240020
for: 4 voices [instruments]
Score
Item no.: 329481
19 Hymn Cycles
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 759764
Marienvesper
for: SSAATTTTBB, Orchester
Klavierauszug mit Continuo-Aussetzung
Item no.: 736362
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 239982
for: 3 melodic instruments, basso continuo
2 Performance scores
Item no.: 601992
for: Zither
Item no.: 365035
mit beiden Versionen des Magnificat
Lauda und Magnificat sind eine Quarte abwärts transponiert
for: Soloists, 2 mixed choirs (SSATTB, SATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 657107
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 2800
for: 2 voices (SS), basso continuo
Music score
Item no.: 482222
for: 2 violins [descant recorders/cornetts], basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 298050
for: Harpsichord
Item no.: 177669
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, guitar, cello; percussion ad lib.
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 112182
for: Vihuela [guitar]
Music score
Item no.: 549708
for: 2 trumpets, 2 trombones (quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 303277
for: 4 trumpets, 4 trombones [2 horns, 2 trombones]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 187100
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 117769
Book
Item no.: 118733
for: Alt solo, Tenor solo, Gemischter Chor:SSATB, Instrument (Streicher oder Bläser) ad libitum, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 344970
for: 2 VL (BFL) FAG (VC) BC
Item no.: 282781
Item no.: 291595
for: 2–3 recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 333727
First complete edition with full commentary
for: Descant recorder
Music score
Item no.: 200594
Favola in musica in one prologue and five acts
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 489943
for: Descant recorder
Item no.: 167854
for: Voice (high), basso continuo
Music score
Item no.: 337928
for: 7 soloists (SSATTBB), mixed choir (SSATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Study score
Item no.: 627381
for: Piano
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 324535
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Music score
Item no.: 227077
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 290879
Estratte da "Concerti ecclesiastici a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 8 voci"
for: 2–4 melodic instruments
Score, Parts
Item no.: 484919
Consort Music
for: 4 viole da gamba
Score, 4 Single part
Item no.: 661036
New Josquin Edition 11
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 769408
für Cembalo (3 Blockflöten/3 Gamben) und Basso continuo (Faksimile)
for: 3 violas
Score, CD
Item no.: 553595
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