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: Mixed choir, wind ensembles, organ
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Item no.: 1355082
a tre voci
for: Streichtrio oder andere Instrumente
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Item no.: 739091
for: 5 solo voices (SATTB), basso continuo
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Item no.: 771635
for: Soloists, mixed choir (SATB), basso continuo
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Item no.: 666527
for: Soloists, mixed choir (SATB), 2 violins, basso continuo
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Item no.: 666486
for: Women's choir a cappella
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Item no.: 662947
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) a cappella
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Item no.: 425142
for: Chor SATB/ATB/SATB
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Item no.: 373633
for: Voice (alto), organ
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Item no.: 371065
for: 3 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB, SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 367299
for: Mixed choir a cappella
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Item no.: 409613
for: Chamber ensemble
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Item no.: 999264
for: Choir
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Item no.: 1160946
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
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Item no.: 1159476
for: Mixed choir (SATB), basso continuo
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Item no.: 1336789
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Item no.: 1336780
for: Choir
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Item no.: 1336771
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Item no.: 1215627
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1337680
for: Soli SSATTBB, Gemischter Chor (SATB), SATB, Flöten (2), 2 Fifari, 3 Ctto, Posaunen (3), Violinen (2), Violen (3), Cello, Vn, Basso continuo
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Item no.: 1337389
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Item no.: 1338197
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1337874
for: Women's choir (SSAA) a cappella
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Item no.: 1339257
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1340433
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1340431
for: Chor SAATB, [Orgel]
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Item no.: 1340336
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB), SATB
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Item no.: 1340317
for: Gemischter Chor (SATB), SATB, 4, 8 Melodieinstrumente, Orgel, Basso continuo
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Item no.: 1340254
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1340246
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1340240
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1340213
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1340148
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1340123
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1340073
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1339990
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1338440
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
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Item no.: 1338356
for: Mixed choir (SAM) a cappella
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Item no.: 1339419
for: Mixed choir (SAM) a cappella
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Item no.: 1339408
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 549571
for: Favoritchor AT, Flöten (2) (2 Ctto), Fagott, ST, S, Violine, Gamben (3), Basso continuo, [Chor SSATB]
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Item no.: 1586520
for: Favoritchor SSB, Violine, Ctto (Violine), Kontrabass, Orgel, [Complementchor SATB, 4 Instrumente]
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Item no.: 1586517
for: Favoritchor SSATTB, Violinen (2), Kontrabass, Orgel, [Complementchor SATB, 4 Instrumente]
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Item no.: 1586500
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB), basso continuo
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Item no.: 1586483
for: Soli (SSAB), gemischter Chor und Orgel
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Item no.: 1544655
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1098733
for: Lute
Book
Item no.: 1097838
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1014245