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.
del Rinascimento
Teorie musicali 3
Book
Item no.: 774049
facsimile dell'unicum appartenuto a padre Martini
Roma [ca. 1690]
Book
Item no.: 962521
(1553)
for: Instrument
Music lesson book
Item no.: 1031328
Study book
Item no.: 722236
del Rinascimento
Book
Item no.: 780896
Studi e Saggi 3
Book
Item no.: 773853
for: 3–4 guitars
Music score
Item no.: 776311
Barock und Klassik
Ausgabe umfasst nur den Textband – ohne Notenbeilage
for: Organ
Study book
Item no.: 463928
Musiche della cappella di Santa Barbara in Mantova
Giaches de Wert. Musica sacra VI
for: Mixed choir (4–5 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 774267
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 772434
Marienvesper SV 206
Ausgabe für Alt
for: 7 soloists (SSATTBB), mixed choir (SSATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
4 Playback-CDs (choir part alto)
Item no.: 676144
Tiziano e Cipriano de Rore
Book
Item no.: 780534
Zeventien Canons
for: 2 descant recorders
Music score
Item no.: 773739
Book
Item no.: 775634
Musiche vocali profane da una miscellanea storica a Bressanone
Biblioteca Musicale 28
Music score
Item no.: 774262
dei Cavalieri di Santo Stefano di Pisa
Book
Item no.: 780535
Book
Item no.: 780510
dalle origini a Frescobaldi
In appendice una raccolta di 19 toccate di diversi Autori
for: Organ
Book
Item no.: 1556005
Marienvesper SV 206
Ausgabe für Bass
for: 7 soloists (SSATTBB), mixed choir (SSATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
4 Playback-CDs (choir part bass)
Item no.: 676146
Marienvesper SV 206
Ausgabe für Tenor
for: 7 soloists (SSATTBB), mixed choir (SSATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
4 Playback-CDs (choir part tenor)
Item no.: 676145
Renaissance et Opéra / Rinascimento e Opera
Sediziose voci. Studi sul melodramma 3
Book
Item no.: 774022
overo dell'istromento musico perfetto - Con annotazioni critiche manoscritte di Scipione Stella
for: Harpsichord
Book
Item no.: 780799
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, il suo tempo e la sua fortuna nelle immagini
Book
Item no.: 780793
fino all'Ottocento
Book
Item no.: 779372
e il suo tempo
Book
Item no.: 779314
for: Lute [guitar]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 265171
Il nuovo «De musica mensurabili»
Study book
Item no.: 1550312
Book
Item no.: 777492
Retorica e musica nel periodo della Riforma
Book
Item no.: 962527
Cattedrale e Collegiata nei secoli XVI e XVIII
Book
Item no.: 774641
De Sono-Tesi 7
Book
Item no.: 774286
Luys de Narváez, Diego Ortiz, Alonso Mudarra
for: Viola
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 770856
dove si ragiona sotto un piacevole discorso delle cose pertinenti, per intavolare le opere di musica... (rist. anast. Napoli, 1559)
for: Viola
Book
Item no.: 780893
(1611) con alcuni estratti da Battuta della musica (1611)
Book
Item no.: 780584
Commentary
Music score
Item no.: 774805
Een oefenhandboek
for: Bass guitar
Music lesson book
Item no.: 648147
Atti del Quinto Convegno internazionale, in ricordo di Federico Ghisi 1901-1975, Certaldo
Book
Item no.: 777509
nel secondo Cinquecento - Atti della giornata di studi, Cremona 27 novembre 1992
Book
Item no.: 779567
Il testo e la sua veste musicale nella polifonia del '500-'600
Book
Item no.: 772084
La prononciation française et latine dans la musique de la Renaissance
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 172340
Rivista per lo studio e la pratica della musica antica - Journal for the study and practice of early music
Book
Item no.: 1013130
fra tradizione orale e tradizione scritta
Book
Item no.: 779543
S. Ambrogio Patrono e protettore dello stato delle libertà
Book
Item no.: 777803
Acqua, Aria, Terra e Fuoco nelle feste sabaude (1585-1699)
Book
Item no.: 777214
della Biblioteca Universitaria di Pisa
Book
Item no.: 1010291
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 776313
Ausgewählte Werke für vier und fünf Blockflöten in wechselnden Besetzungen
for: 4–5 recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 117781
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