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]
Sheet music
Item no.: 5273
from: Il primo libro di Capricci, Rom 1624
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Sheet music
Item no.: 6447
for: Voice (alto), basso continuo
Item no.: 169532
for: Voice, guitar
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 216071
for: Women's choir (SS) [2 solo voices], organ
Score
Item no.: 1946
for: 3 recorders (ATB)
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 5861
for: Choir
Choir book
Item no.: 344040
Die Tabulatur 6
Ausgewählte Werke in ihrer Originalnotation mit Übertragungen für Laute und Gitarre
for: Lute [guitar]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 217500
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Buch
Item no.: 279901
for: Voice, guitar
Score
Item no.: 394165
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1037340
Annotated Performer's Editions 6
for: Organ (manuals)
Music score
Item no.: 489783
for: Mixed choir (SATB) [4 voices (SATB)]
Score
Item no.: 2708
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck. Sämtliche Orgel- und Clavierwerke 1,1 (Sammelband, Urtextausgabe) (Collection, Urtext)
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 165912
for: 5 recorders (SSATB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 355346
for: 6 Blockflöte (SSAATB)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 355339
Score
Item no.: 549806
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 299760
Barbaris, Bellony, Campion, Corbetta, Foscarini, Fuenllana, Granata, Visee i.a.
edited according to tablatures
for: Guitar
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 178160
for: 2 VL (BFL) FAG (VC) BC
Item no.: 282784
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 282684
for: Organ
Book and music score
Item no.: 279331
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 231745
Amsterdam 1551
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 560002
for: 2 violins [recorders/flutes/oboes]
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 5786
[ECHO Collection of Historical Organ Music - Vol. 7]
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 1697051
for: 4 INST (SAAB) (CEMB)
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 601551
Aus "Le premier livre", Paris 1552.
Tabulatur-Reproduktion mit Übertragung
for: Vihuela [guitar]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 413825
Libro de musica de vihuela de mano 1535
Fantasien 23-33
for: Vihuela [guitar/piano]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 478836
for: Choir
Book
Item no.: 990885
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Score (facsimile hardcover)
Item no.: 363317
für fünf Blockflöten (SSATB/TTBGbSb) oder/und Streicher, Bläser, Vokalensemble
Musicalische Bibliothek 27
for: 5 recorders (SAATB)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 577659
for: Trumpet, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 313705
for: 3 voices [melodic instruments]
Score
Item no.: 298051
Beliebte Melodien aus 'The Dancing Master'
Country Dances
für Gitarre
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 668723
for: Descant recorder
Item no.: 129157
for: Vihuela [guitar/piano]
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 1161111
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 906025
for: Descant recorder
Sheet music
Item no.: 1316
Corpus of Early Keyboard Music
lose Blattsammlung (Unbound 8.5x11(A4) offprint)
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score
Item no.: 139073
for: Descant recorder [violin/cornett], basso continuo
Sheet music
Item no.: 3827
for: Tenor solo, Sopran solo, Basso continuo
Partitur, Stimme, Urtextausgabe, Sammelband
Item no.: 115907
for: Keyboard instrument
Music score
Item no.: 304496
for: VL (FL/OB) FAG (VA/VDG/VC) BC
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 608596
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, basso continuo
Piano score, solo part, online audio (playback) (anthology)
Item no.: 604425
for: Sopran-Blockflöte (Flöte, Oboe, Violine) und Generalbass (Gitarre)
Item no.: 420923
Score
Item no.: 549869
for: 2 recorders (AT)
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 1917
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