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: Organ [harpsichord]
Item no.: 429523
Zeitschrift für Spielmusik
for: 2 descant recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 414033
F
for: Piano
Piano Solo
Item no.: 1589669
Weihnachtsmotette
for: 3 gleiche oder gemischte Stimmen (SAA oder SAT)
Chorpartitur mit untergelegtem Klavierauszug
Item no.: 751598
aus: Geistliche Lieder (2. Teil Nr. 14)
for: Mixed choir (SATTB); basso continuo ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 365792
aus: Selva morale et spirituale
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB / SAABar), [Basso continuo]
Score
Item no.: 1658804
for: Voice, piano
Item no.: 185725
Dialog und Verkündigung
for: 2 Singstimmen (ST), 4 Posaunen, Basso continuo, [Singstimmen Chor SATTB]
Score
Item no.: 229804
Geistliches Konzert
Hoch rühmt und ehrt meine Seele Gott den Herrn
for: Favorit choir (SATB), double chapell choirs (ATB/SATB), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 232085
Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1339527
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 152751
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 475189
for: Voice, concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 589286
for: 4 trumpets, 2 horns [horn, trombone], 2 trombones, tuba
Score, Parts
Item no.: 597423
Tuba & Streicher
for: Tuba, string orchestra
Sheet music
Item no.: 596952
Weihnachtliche Motette für achtstimmigen Doppelchor.
Für gemischten Chor, Blockflöten, Violen da Gamba oder andere Instrumente.
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte) ad lib.
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1629067
aus: Geistliche Chormusik
mit singbarer englischer Übersetzung
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 231833
Choral
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 317188
Klassik
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 891118
Motet
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB) a cappella
Choir score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1549899
Schlusschor aus der Weihnachtshistorie
for: 3-stimmiger gemischter Chor (SABar), Bläser o. Streicher, Bc.
Music score
Item no.: 722945
Weihnachts-Choral
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 456357
(Luk. 1, 46-55)
Eulenburg Studienpartituren
for: GCH (6) ORG
Score
Item no.: 392271
Postum überlieferte Magnificat-Kompositionen, zweifelhafte Werke, Modelle, Register
Orlando di Lasso. Sämtliche Werke (Neue Reihe) 17
for: Choir
Gesamtausgabe, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 116273
Motette
for: Gemischte Chöre (2), Trompeten (2)
Score
Item no.: 114772
mit beiden Versionen des Magnificat
Lauda einen Ganzton, Magnificat eine kleine Terz abwärts transponiert
Musiche Varie – Musik des 17. Jahrhunderts
for: Soloists, 2 mixed choirs (SSATTB, SATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Choir score
Item no.: 633323
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1658282
Motette
Möseler Chorreihe 87
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1661546
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1667766
Offertorium der 3. Weihnachtsmesse
Psalm 88,12
for: 2 mixed choirs (SSAB, SATB); 3 cornetts, 5 trombones (colla parte) ad lib.
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 5429
"Magnificat" (Lukas 1, 46-55)
for: gemischter Chor (SAAB/ATBB/TBBB)
Choir score
Item no.: 751765
for: Women's choir (SSAA) a cappella
Music score
Item no.: 732947
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Sheet music
Item no.: 1436
für zwei Stimmen und Generalbass ad lib.
aus: Musae Sioniae, 9. Teil
for: Women's choir (SA) [2 solo voices]; organ ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 2791
Neuinstrumentierung (2001)
for: Mixed choir (SATB), instruments
Ensemble score Violin 1,2
Item no.: 690347
for: Trumpet (C/B-flat), organ
Item no.: 281872
Zwei- bis fünfstimmige Gesänge aus "Musae Sioniae" (1610)
Zeitschrift fuer Spielmusik
for: BFL (2-5)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 414009
Christmas Settings for Vocal and Instrumental Ensemble
for: Mixed ensemble (6 voices)
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 569505
Weihnachtssätze für Vokal- und Instrumentalensemble
for: Choir (2 voices) a cappella
2 Scores
Item no.: 489617
Zeitschrift für Spielmusik 319
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 413764
Zeitschrift fuer Spielmusik
for: 2 recorders (ST)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 413927
Kleine Reihe 1
for: Singstimme (S), gemischter Chor (SSATB) Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 456365
Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340383
Weihnachtsmotette
aus "Paradisus musicus"
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Choir score
Item no.: 335219
Hinshaw Concert
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Choir score
Item no.: 1057187
Posaune & Streicher
for: Trombone, string orchestra
Sheet music
Item no.: 596936
for: Clarinet, string orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 591313
aus: Magnificat octo tonorum
for: 4 voices [mixed choir], (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 423725