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.
Choral Large Works
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 317714
Choruses Selected by Morris Hayes
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Score
Item no.: 317681
The English Madrigalists 36
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 272055
Klassik
for: Double bass, piano
Buch
Item no.: 277598
Pratica Musicale 6
Music score (reprint, hardcover)
Item no.: 371149
for: 5 voices, 5 viole da gamba
Score, Parts
Item no.: 478152
Treasury Choral
for: Mixed choir (SABar) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1633219
Vorreformatorisches Adventsgebet (Collecte), wahrscheinlich von Martin Luther 1533 eingedeutscht
g-dorisch
aus: Kleine geistliche Konzerte I
for: 2 voices (SS) [TT], organ
Score
Item no.: 421967
Passionsmusik
Urtext Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe
for: Favorit choir (SATTB), orchestra; chapell choir (SATTB) ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 232134
aus: Geistliche Chormusik SWV 394
Mit singbarer englischer Übersetzung
for: Favorit choir (SSATTBB), basso continuo; 7 instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 231853
Psalmmotette (dorisch) aus: Psalmen Davids (1619)
möglich
for: 2 mixed choirs (Fav. SATB, SATB), double bass, orgam; mixed choir (Cap. SSATB), 5 melodic instruments ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 231702
for: Dulcimer
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 827783
für Soli (TT), gemischten Chor (SATTB) und Basso continuo
aus: Selva morale et spirituale – Urtext
for: Mixed choir (SATTB) [5 solo voices], basso continuo; 5 melody instruments colla parte ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 666524
So Ben Mi Ch'à Bon Tempo
Alfred Choral Designs
for: Mixed choir (SABar); piano, flute, hand drum ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 745895
The Lost Songs of English Renaissance Comedy
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 876781
Letters and Documents in Translation
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 781109
(with "In the Bleak Midwinter")
Based on a melody by Thomas Tallis
for: Mixed choir (SABar), piano
Score
Item no.: 691856
from: Psalms of David SWV 32, 1619
Scripture: Ps 136
for: 2 favorit choirs (SATB, SATB), double bass, organ; chapell choir 8 instruments colla parte ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 1651793
(A Small White Hen)
Treasury Choral
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 777529
Harmonia-Mixed Choir
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 914706
Libero Quarto
Monumenti Musicali Italiani X
Girolamo Frescobaldi Opere complete
for: Harpsichord [organ]
2 music scores
Item no.: 744998
Klassik
for: Women's choir (SSAA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 878254
A saxophone feature based on the Passion Chorale
for: Concert Band/Harmonie and 2 Saxophones
Score
Item no.: 975336
With expamples by Giovanni Bassano (1591) – Francesco Rognoni (1620)
for: Bass instrument (C)
Music lesson book
Item no.: 1632375
Reprint of the Oxford University Press, 1946 edition
Book
Item no.: 134867
Choral
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 905389
Choral Treasury Series
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 797906
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 891334
for: Voice, piano
Piano score
Item no.: 482807
Régi mesterek vegyeskarai 25
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 822621
O beata et gloriosa Trinitas
Church Music Society
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 893702
Táncmuzsika öt énekhangra
for: 5 voices [mixed choir] a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 625597
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 888537
Complete Lute Songs I
for: Voice, guitar
Score
Item no.: 213823
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 722485
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1032149
for: Voice, piano
Piano score
Item no.: 1669654
Dance from The Danserye Suite
for: Fanfare
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1000702
mit 21 Notenbeispielen und 35 Abbildungen, davon 13 vierfarbig
Musica Mensurabilis 9
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 767142
The English Madrigalists 6
for: Mixed choir (3–6 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 771905
The English Madrigalists 20
for: 4 voices [instruments]
Score
Item no.: 771332
Vol. 10/I
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Hardcover)
Item no.: 817385
from "The Second Booke of Songes or Ayres of foure partes with Tableture for the Lute", 1600
for: Mixed choir (SATB), lute [harpsichord]
Score
Item no.: 3335
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Music score, Playback-CD
Item no.: 772167
The English Madrigalists 35a
for: Mixed choir (3–6 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 771729
Seven madrigals by Thomas Weelkes
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 314528
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), organ
Score
Item no.: 364567
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 371068