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
Book and music score
Item no.: 237869
for: Descant recorder [violin/cornett], basso continuo
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 2911
Earliest Organ Music (ca. 1330 - 1448)
Diletto Musicale - Doblingers Reihe alter Musik
for: Organ (manuals)
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 282728
Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae 57
for: Harpsichord
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 580927
for: Organ
Study book
Item no.: 293430
for: Voice (low), piano [organ]
Music score
Item no.: 217746
Part 3. Modern and Contemporary Music
for: Organ
Music lesson book
Item no.: 1215729
für 2 Sopran-Instrumente (Violine, Blockflöte, Zink) und Basso continuo
Chamber Music Of The Seventeenth Century 7
for: 2 melodic instruments (C), basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 340386
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 355275
for: Voice, guitar [lute]
Score
Item no.: 248181
for: 2 melodic instruments
Score
Item no.: 462312
Vol. 1
Music for Woodwind Instruments 15
for: 2–3 recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 333727
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score
Item no.: 255852
for: 3 soloists (SSB), mixed choir (SATB), cornett, 3 trombones, strings, basso continuo
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 5847
for: Descant recorder
Sheet music
Item no.: 1452
for: 2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba (quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 279948
for: 5 recorders (SSATB), basso continuo
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3118
for: Voice (bass), basso continuo
Sheet music
Item no.: 2785
for: Voice (melody instrument]
Music score
Item no.: 195190
Book
Item no.: 774035
for: Viola da gamba
Book
Item no.: 114768
for: Voice, guitar [lute]
Score
Item no.: 228281
for: Voice (high), piano
Score
Item no.: 137444
from the Repertoire of the Mandel Quartet
for: Flexible ensemble
Ensemble score
Item no.: 168026
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir book
Item no.: 149012
for Voice and Guitar
ars instrumentalis 080
for: Voice, guitar
Score
Item no.: 109143
Eine kommentierte Quellensammlung
Pratica Musicale 8
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 475526
for: Descant recorder
Buch + CD
Item no.: 483317
from the 14th - 18th centuries
for: 3 treble recorders
Ensemble score (anthology)
Item no.: 327477
for: Voice, guitar [lute]
Score
Item no.: 142179
for: Mixed choir (SATB); organ ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 471534
for: Flute
Music score (spiral binding), online playback
Item no.: 642614
for: 8 voices (SSAATTBB), organ, bass; mixed choir (SSATTB), 6 melody instruments colla parte ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 423286
Music lesson book
Item no.: 885980
Gabrieli, Frescobaldi and others
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 635421
(1620)
Vol. II: Tentos (5°-8° tono), Susanas
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 1025254
Partitura urtext senza voltate
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 1207800
for: Mixed choir (SSATB), basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 655070
for: Voice, guitar [lute]
Music score
Item no.: 142177
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 680929
for: Voice (high), piano
Music score
Item no.: 182729
Harmonia-Mixed Choir
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 915805
for: Mixed choir (SATB); lute ad lib.
Score (Hardcover)
Item no.: 376330
With ornamentation instructions and choreographies
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet) [string orchestra]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 487623
Die zwischen 1553 und 1638 mehrmals bearbeiteten Sätze
Practica Musicale 1
Music score (hardcover)
Item no.: 200329
for: Mixed choir (favourite choir SATB), basso continuo; 2 mixed choirs (chapel choirs SATB, SATB), 8 melodic instruments ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 231744
for: Voice (low), piano [organ]
Music score
Item no.: 144145
for: Mixed choir (SSB) [male chorus (TTB)], basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 423224