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 (SSATB), organ
Score
Item no.: 231815
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella; organ ad lib.
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 279186
Show yourselves joyful to the Lord
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 676718
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 609271
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score
Item no.: 231097
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 231641
for: 1–2 violins, piano; guitar ad lib.
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 301298
for: SATB, Ensemble
Piano reduction
Item no.: 819931
for: 2 trumpets (B-flat), horn (F), trombone, tuba
Score, Parts
Item no.: 318417
for: 2 recorders (ST)
Music score
Item no.: 109101
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1384616
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 1383740
for: Choral
Item no.: 1376764
for: Choral
Item no.: 1378525
for: Choral
Item no.: 1376501
for: Choral
Item no.: 1376123
for: Choral
Item no.: 1374011
for: Classical guitar
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 493688
Zeitschrift fuer Spielmusik
for: BFL QUARTETT (SAAB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1677009
for: Mixed choir a cappella
CD
Item no.: 1696797
Motet in six parts from 'Geistliche Chor-Music' (1648)
for: Flexible ensemble (6 parts)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1479661
for: Lute
Buch
Item no.: 1658719
aus der Oper "L´Orfeo"
(Ausgabe in B-, C- und D-Dur)
for: Trumpet, piano
Score, Parts
Item no.: 781328
a quattro voci per sonare
Venetia 1596
for: 4 string instruments
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1340787
Musica Practica (wind clefs)
for: Voice (melody instrument]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1615860
for: Cor anglais, organ
Organ score, solo part
Item no.: 636079
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Item no.: 327145
Fakultätsvorträge der Philologisch-Kulturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Wien 10
V&Runipress
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 773169
Klassifikation und Detailstudien eines modellhaften Repertoires
Wiener Forum für ältere Musikgeschichte 10
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 1008962
für Mezzosopran und Orchester
Studienpartitur
for: Voice, orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 1344606
Shawnee Press
for: 3-part mixed, opt. flute
Choir score
Item no.: 1126531
Motet
No. 3 from "Geistliche Chor-Music"
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Mixed choir (SATTB), basso continuo; 5 melodic instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Choir score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 696755
Fantasien und Tientos aus Libro de Música para Vihuela, intitulado Orphénica lyra (1554)
Faksimiledruck mit Übertragung
for: Vihuela [guitar]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 1209692
for: Trumpet
Item no.: 604441
(Paris Rès. Vmc. 64) Per Organo o Clavicembalo
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Music score
Item no.: 648711
for: Mixed choir; basso continuo ad lib.
Item no.: 465113
Sammlung musikwissen- schaftlicher Abhandlungen/ Collection d'études musicologiques 61
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 122443
for: Recorder
Item no.: 413954
Six madrigals by Luca Marenzio
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 333547
Instrumentalmusik für Kammer und Kirche Band 3
Musica Instrumentalis
for: 2 violins, basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 188132
Werke von Komponisten aus dem 16./17./18. Jahrhundert
for: Trombone, piano [organ]
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 1557072
for: 2 trumpets, 2 trombones (quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 119865
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 414014
for: 4 melodic instruments
Item no.: 413892
Zeitschrift für Spielmusik
for: 4–5 melodic instruments
Ensemble score
Item no.: 413622
Fiori Musicali
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Item no.: 430077
for: Trombone, piano
Item no.: 474155
Partitur und Stimmen
nach Angelo Gardano
for: KAMMERMUSIK
Score, Parts
Item no.: 153465