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.
Edition Schott
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 733057
for: 2 lutes
Ensemble score
Item no.: 293753
for: 5 recorders (SATTB)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3300
Complete Edition with Commentary
for: 4 melodic instruments
4 Performance scores
Item no.: 342974
for: Brass ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1544007
for: Harpsichord
Music score
Item no.: 217025
for: Voice, guitar
Songbook
Item no.: 492525
for: Voice (tenor), flute, organ
Ensemble score
Item no.: 635511
for: VL (TRP) POS BC
Item no.: 414277
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 564569
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
for: 5 recorders (SAATB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 355274
for: Organ (manuals) [harpsichord]
Music score
Item no.: 352347
for: Viola da gamba [cello], basso continuo
Item no.: 282763
First complete edition with full commentary
for: Descant recorder
Music score
Item no.: 200593
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 659995
for: SSAATTTTBB, Orchester
Klavierauszug
Item no.: 289252
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 393802
for: 5 recorders (quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 549985
Favola in musica in one prologue and five acts
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 489942
Variations on Chorales and Psalms
Breitkopf Urtext
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 456918
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 113363
for: SBFL (VL) BC
Score, Parts
Item no.: 172215
Easy recorder quartets 1
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 353864
Cantio Sacra 5
for: Voice (bass), basso continuo
Item no.: 132068
Concerto da' varii stromenti (violino e b.c./2 violini e b.c./2 violini, trombone e b.c./4 viole da gamba)
Palermo (1629)
for: 1–2 violins, basso continuo / 2 violins, trombone, basso continuo / 4 viole da gamba
Set of parts
Item no.: 637734
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score
Item no.: 148939
for: Harpsichord [organ]
Music score
Item no.: 744999
for: Mixed choir (SATTBB) [6 solo voices]
Score
Item no.: 772799
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 769395
for: Organ
Score
Item no.: 240000
for: Flexible ensemble (4 voices)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 181887
for: Viola da gamba, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 492905
10 Kyrie Cycles - Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus - 4 Sequentia Cycles - Psalm 113 - Magnificat germanice
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 726694
for: Voice (high), basso continuo
Score, choir scores, single parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 6473
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), basso continuo; 5 melodic instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 6379
for: Descant recorder
Sheet music
Item no.: 2213
for: 5 recorders (SSATB); basso continuo ad lib.
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3156
for: Organ (manuals)
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 491994
formules d'auteurs anciens pour la voix ou l'instrument
for: Voice (melody instrument]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 314079
for: Descant recorder
Item no.: 129159
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3340
for: Voice, guitar
Songbook
Item no.: 603021
for: Mixed choir (3 voices) a cappella
Choir book
Item no.: 223970
for: BFL QUARTETT (AATB/SATB)
Item no.: 224992
for: Voice, guitar
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 198571
for: 4 voices (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 772911
for: Soloists, 2 mixed choirs (SSATTB, SATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 657090