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 (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 678396
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 678394
for: Mixed choir (3–6 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 771905
for: Mixed choir (3–6 parts) a cappella
Choir score
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for: Mixed choir (4–5 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 346411
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 314528
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 371068
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 722485
for: Organ
Book
Item no.: 549555
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
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for: 4 voices [instruments]
Score
Item no.: 771332
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), organ
Score
Item no.: 364567
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 315522
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, ATTB), basso continuo; 8 melody instruments colla parte ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 666655
for: Mixed choir (SSTTB) [5 voices], 2 violins, basso continuo; melody instruments colla parte ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 664051
for: Mixed choir (4–5 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 298265
for: Fanfare
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1000702
for: Fanfare and Saxophone[s]
Score
Item no.: 975319
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Hardcover)
Item no.: 817385
for: Blechbläserquartett
Score, Parts
Item no.: 377724
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Music score, Playback-CD
Item no.: 772167
for: Mixed choir (SATB), lute [harpsichord]
Score
Item no.: 3335
Ancient to Baroque
Seventh Edition
Book
Item no.: 697594
From The Becker Psalter
for: Choir
Buch
Item no.: 1149463
Eb
for: Piano, Voice, High Voice
Piano/Vocal
Item no.: 1589566
The Violin at the English Court, 1540-1690
Oxford Monographs on Music
for: Violin
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 246674
F
for: Voice, piano
Piano/Vocal
Item no.: 1612799
Deutsches Nunc dimittis
SWV 432 – 1657
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) [6 voices]; basso continuo ad lib.
Music score (without cover)
Item no.: 232024
for: Bass guitar
Music score (with tabs), online audio
Item no.: 696236
for: gemischter Chor (dreistimmig)
Choir score
Item no.: 1628382
Let Desert Wasteland Now Rejoice
for: Mixed choir (SAB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 1149430
Facsimile British Library MS Mus. 1591
Documenta musicologica II/44 / Bärenreiter Facsimile (Faksimile) (Facsimile)
for: Organ [harpsichord]
Music score (reprint, hardcover)
Item no.: 610741
Historia des Leidens und Sterbens unsers Herrn und Heilandes Jesu Christi nach dem Evangelisten Matthäus
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe
for: Favorit choir (SATB), mixed choir (SATB)
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 232137
for: 2–4 voices
Music score (hardcover, anthology)
Item no.: 769248
for: Voice, guitar [lute]
Music score
Item no.: 583487
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 366287
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir book (anthology)
Item no.: 333545
for: Voice, lute
Music score
Item no.: 299837
for: Mixed choir (SSAATB); organ ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 930813
for: Mixed choir (5 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 771902
for: Mixed choir (5 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 771735
for: Mixed choir (4–6 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 771734
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Music score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 769214
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Music score
Item no.: 768940
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Music score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 768934
for: 2–3 voices
Choir score
Item no.: 361323
for: Mixed choir (3–6 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 333551
for: Mixed choir (5–6 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 333549
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