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.
Baroque and Classical Era
for: Organ
Book and music score
Item no.: 237869
for: Descant recorder
Item no.: 129159
Reneszánsz muzsika két gitárra
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score (anthology)
Item no.: 478430
37 Motetten zu fünf Stimmen
Die Ausgabe folgt dem Erstdruck der Sacrae Cantiones, der 1565 bei Antonio Gardano in Venedig erschien.
for: Mixed choir (SATTBB) [6 solo voices]
Score
Item no.: 772799
New Josquin Edition 7
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score
Item no.: 769395
82 Tänze für vier Instrumente (SATB)
for: Flexible ensemble
Score
Item no.: 658508
for: 4 voices (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 772911
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 1027023
Concerto da' varii stromenti (violino e b.c./2 violini e b.c./2 violini, trombone e b.c./4 viole da gamba)
Palermo (1629)
for: 1–2 violins, basso continuo / 2 violins, trombone, basso continuo / 4 viole da gamba
Set of parts
Item no.: 637734
für Gambe und Bc (nicht ausgesetzt)
Partitur Buch Gotha 1662 Band 1
for: Viola da gamba, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 492905
for voice and guitar
Francia reneszánsz dalok
énekhangra és gitárra
for: Voice, guitar
Music score (anthology)
Item no.: 198571
Das Chorwerk 22
for: Mixed choir (3 voices) a cappella
Choir book
Item no.: 223970
for: Organ (manuals)
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 491994
English Instrumental Music 10
for: Flexible ensemble (4 voices)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 181887
for: Voice, guitar
Songbook
Item no.: 603021
for: 5 recorders (SSATB)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 355344
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score
Item no.: 148939
Maîtres classiques 46
for: Organ
Score
Item no.: 240000
formules d'auteurs anciens pour la voix ou l'instrument
for: Voice (melody instrument]
Music lesson book
Item no.: 314079
Cantio Sacra 5
for: Voice (bass), basso continuo
Item no.: 132068
Ausgewählte Werke für vier und fünf Blockflöten in wechselnden Besetzungen
for: 4–5 recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 117781
Plaisir musical
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 117777
mit beiden Versionen des Magnificat
Lauda und Magnificat sind eine Quarte abwärts transponiert
for: Soloists, 2 mixed choirs (SSATTB, SATTB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 657090
di diversi composizioni toccate, kyrie, canzoni, capricci e recercari in partitura a quattro
transcriptions for keyboards
Monumenti Musicali Italiani XII
Girolamo Frescobaldi Opere complete XII
for: Harpsichord [organ]
Music score
Item no.: 744999
6 compositions for 2 descant or tenor recorders
for: 2 descant recorders [tenor recorders]
Ensemble score
Item no.: 553967
for: BFL QUARTETT (AATB/SATB)
Item no.: 224992
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 113118
from the Repertoire of the Mandel Quartet
for: Flexible ensemble
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1670710
Musica Britannica 54
for: Lute
Music score (with TABs)
Item no.: 930087
From "The Dorian Service"
for: Mixed choir (SATB); organ ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 1008640
Pavane Choral
for: SAB
Choir score
Item no.: 1636246
Régi mesterek vegyeskarai 16
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 850414
for: Voice (high), piano
Music score
Item no.: 771409
Opera in Three Acts op. 40
Lyric book
Item no.: 1043672
The English Madrigalists 41
for: Mixed choir (5 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 930785
A feature for flugel and tenor horns based on the Passion Chorale
for: Brass Band and Horn[s]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 975442
Klassik
for: Mixed choir (SATTB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 982899
English Renaissance rounds
for: 3-11 instruments (treble clef)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 603756
Choral
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 317531
Choral
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Choir score
Item no.: 317288
Treasury Choral
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1633220
for: Choir (2 voices); instruments ad lib.
Score (anthology)
Item no.: 347124
Ötszólamú dalok
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 466338
Service Music
Early English Church Music 13
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 333550
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 335814
A graded selection of 25 three-part works
for: Mixed choir (SABar) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 292859
Klassik
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 982979
The First Chester Book Of Motets
for: 4 voices
Music score
Item no.: 279960