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: 2 voices, basso continuo
Item no.: 492948
for: für 1, 2, 3, 6 oder 8 Singstimmen und Instrumente
Partitur
Item no.: 214842
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 210317
for: 5 recorders (quintet)
Score
Item no.: 659741
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 159849
for: GES-T 2 VDG (POS) BC
Item no.: 142671
for: Treble recorder
Item no.: 419037
for: 2–4 guitars
Item no.: 394435
(Urtext)
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 116346
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 228278
for: Harpsichord [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 2183
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850918
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850579
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850539
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Gesamtausgabe, Singpartitur, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 115788
for: SSATTB Singstimmen und Basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 1204146
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850924
for: Women's choir (2-3 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850806
for: Mixed choir (SMezATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850789
for: Male choir (TTB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850578
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850393
for: Flexible ensemble (4 voices)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 274303
Two- and three-part motets
for: 2-3 voices [mixed choir]
Choir score
Item no.: 266339
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1041632
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 1041123
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1039830
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1038560
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 1038020
for: Mixed choir (SAB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 1041608
for: 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba (quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1022855
for: 2 trumpets (B-flat), horn (F), trombone, tuba
Score, Parts
Item no.: 156928
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 908392
for: Women's choir (SSAA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 906894
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 899788
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1041807
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1041351
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1040085
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1039545
for: Unison Voices, Keyboard [Organ or Piano]
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1039524
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1038395
for: 4 trumpets
Score, Parts
Item no.: 456747
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 905322
for: 2-Part Treble Voices [SA] a Cappella
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 902006
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1041317
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 1041245
for: SAB or SAT
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1041120
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 1040959
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 1040543