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.
Geistliches Konzert
aus "Opella nova II"
for: Tenor solo, Violinen (2), Viola, 3. Violine, Basso continuo
Singpartitur, Spielpartitur, Stimmensatz
Item no.: 196308
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 145419
"Siehe, ich verkündige euch grosse Freude". Weihnachtskonzert
for: Mixed choir, piano
Score
Item no.: 138737
Musicalische Bibliothek 2
for: 4 recorders (quartet)
Score
Item no.: 142832
Musica Practica Fuer Schule Kirche Haus 5
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 302028
for: 2 voices (SS/TT), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 423375
Coppenraths Kleine Reihe 6
for: GES-T 2 VL (ABFL) BC
Score
Item no.: 277405
Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340167
Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340108
für gemischten Chor
Geistliche Chormusik 2/3
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 309761
(Shepherds Quaked When the Angel Told Them)
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 903491
für 2 gem Chöre, Streicher und Bc, Stimmen Ein Kind geborn zu Bethlehem
for: Favorit choir (SSB), chapell choir (SATB), strings, basso continuo
Set of parts
Item no.: 1657304
Trompete & Streicher
for: Trumpet, string orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 591328
Geistliches Konzert
Hoch rühmt und ehrt meine Seele Gott den Herrn
for: Favorit choir (SATB), double chapell choirs (ATB/SATB), orchestra
Choir score
Item no.: 232086
aus: Weihnachtshistorie
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB), Orchester, Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 463617
mit beiden Versionen des Magnificat
for: Soloists, 2 mixed choirs (SSATTB, SATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 677596
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 674035
(Gelobet seist Du, Jesu Christ)
aus: Newe Deudsche Geistliche Gesenge für die Gemeinen Schulen
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 5239
O Jesulein süss
for: Brass ensemble (8 voices)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 974161
M.Henry Noël his Galliard - Sir Henry Humpton's Funeral
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 971981
for: Mixed choir (SATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 3576
aus Georg Forsters Sammlung "Frische teutsche Liedlein"
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 2847
The Byrd Edition 7a
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 771296
Altkatholisches Christlied aus dem 15. Jahrhundert fürs Kirchenkonzert
for: Accordion orchestra
Score
Item no.: 659739
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 479451
Octavo Edition
for: Women's choir (3 voices) [male choir]
Score
Item no.: 621009
Weihnachtsmotette
Möseler Chorreihe Band 79
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 634763
for: Voice (mezzo-soprano), organ
Music score
Item no.: 563528
(Luk. 1, 46-55)M xiv, 327 / SV 206, Anh.
for: gemischter Chor (SSATTB), Soli (SSATTBB) und Basso continuo (Orgel)
Piano reduction
Item no.: 279069
for: 4 voices [4 melodic instruments]
Choir score
Item no.: 569777
Imitatorische Motette (14. Jh.)
for: gleiche Stimmen (SMezA)
Choir score
Item no.: 281138
for: Cello, piano
Instrumental Solo & Piano Accompaniment
Item no.: 1553401
Choral Large Works
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 317728
Zwei Weihnachtskonzerte für zwei gemischte Vokal-Chöre oder zwei Bläserchöre (Blech- und/oder Holzbläser) oder Sänger- und Bläserchöre
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 117133
Magnificat des Druckes Nürnberg 1567. 24 Kompositionen zu 6, 5 und 4 Stimmen, jeweils in den acht Tönen (Primi Toni - Octavi Toni). Anhang
Orlando di Lasso. Sämtliche Werke (Neue Reihe) 13
for: Choir
Gesamtausgabe, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 116268
"Magnificat" (Lukas 1, 46-55)
for: gemischter Chor (SAAB/ATBB/TBBB)
Choir score
Item no.: 203825
Georg Rhau. Musikdrucke aus den Jahren 1538-1545, 5
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Gesamtausgabe, Singpartitur, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 115786
New Novello Choral Edition
for: Soprano, Tenor, Bass Voice, SATB, Orchestra
Score
Item no.: 145074
Weihnachtssätze für Vokal- und Instrumentalensemble
for: Flexible ensemble (4 voices)
Set of parts
Item no.: 566329
Weihnachtsoratorium
for: Gemischter Chor: SSATTB
Choir score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 163823
Eulenburg Octavo Edition
for: 4 voices [mixed choir], (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 345282
für zwei gemischte Chöre, ad lib. Instrumente colla parte
Sing- und Spielpartitur
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); instruments ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 343091
für 6 Stimmen - SSAATTB
for: Soloists, mixed choir (SATB), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 633612
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 425249
for: Cello, basso continuo
Stimme(n), Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 628927
Weihnachtsmotette
Möseler Chorreihe
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 372536
aus: Ecclesiasticarum Cantionum Quatuor Vocum ... Liber Primus
Venedig 1639
eingerichtet für Blockflötenquartett
for: 4 recorders (AATB)
Score
Item no.: 6091
Versos del sexto tono - 1578
Zeitschrift für Spielmusik 391
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 142360