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.
Bibliothek Alter Musik 114
for: Flexible baroque ensemble (8 voices)
Item no.: 262148
Repertoire Explorer
Study Score 130
for: String quartet [string orchestra]
Study score
Item no.: 318543
Sechs Werke
for: Mixed choir (5–8 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 683337
for: Brass band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1559646
für vier - bis sechsstimmigen Posaunenchor oder Blechbläserensemble
for: Brass ensemble
Score for trumpets in B-flat
Item no.: 664695
for: High Voice, Organ, Brass Quartet
Buch
Item no.: 912328
for: 2 descant recorders
Book
Item no.: 369203
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Item no.: 459459
HCCS - Helbling Choral Concert Series
for: Mixed choir; basso continuo ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 485142
dans les 8 tons
Orgue et Liturgie 3
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 362766
for: 4 recorders (quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 362631
für 5 Stimmen und Instrumente ad lib.
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 375341
Harmonia-Mixed Choir
for: Mixed choir (SAB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 915103
Geistliche Zwiegesänge
for: 2 descant recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 419382
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1642926
Schweizer Beiträge zur Musikforschung 10
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 483688
Ou clavecin – Orgue – Harfe
for: Lute
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 433448
for: Male choir
Choir score
Item no.: 271961
Klassik
for: Tiefes Blechbläserquartett
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1530727
for: Flute ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 994567
Fontana Di Musica 24
for: Mixed ensemble (6 voices)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 461146
Piano reduction
Item no.: 326283
Collegium Musicum – Kölner Reihe Alter Musik
for: 5 viole da gamba
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1632346
Mark Foster
for: SAA a Cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1123622
Hinshaw Sacred
for: SSATB, Keyboard
Choir score
Item no.: 1058665
Instrumental Accompaniment Set
Set of parts
Item no.: 1057963
Heft 27: Handschriftliche Tabulaturensammlung um 1600
Ausgewählte Werke in ihrer Originalnotation mit Übertragungen für Laute und Gitarre. Mit Faksimile
Teil V
for: Lute [guitar]
Music score
Item no.: 634967
for: Männerchor, [Basso continuo]
Item no.: 465114
Ross Winters Recorder Pack
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Item no.: 340440
Holzbläser oder Streicher
Item no.: 276588
für 5-stimmigen gemischten Chor, Streicher und Orgel
Text: Lukas 2, 34-35
for: Mixed choir, strings, organ
Vocal score
Item no.: 380937
for: 4 saxophones (SATBar)
Book
Item no.: 994753
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 950140
for: Male choir (TTBB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 950970
Schütz-Gesamteinspielung, Band 5
Dresdner Kammerchor – Hans-Christoph Rademann
2 Audio-CDs
Item no.: 677178
for: 2 VL VC / 3 VDG
Score, Parts
Item no.: 165453
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 989642
for: Choir (2 voices) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 911971
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 911627
for: String Duo
Book
Item no.: 939037
for: Choir
CD
Item no.: 936411
for: Choir
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 944946
for: 3-Part Mixed Choir a Cappella
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 909193
for: Mixed choir (SAB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 908948
for: 3 Treble Voices
Score, Parts
Item no.: 931690
for: 4-Part Mixed Voices
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 936688
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