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 (SATB) a cappella
Sheet music
Item no.: 1436
für zwei Stimmen und Generalbass ad lib.
aus: Musae Sioniae, 9. Teil
for: Women's choir (SA) [2 solo voices]; organ ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 2791
Hinshaw Concert
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Choir score
Item no.: 1057187
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 780094
Neuinstrumentierung (2001)
for: Mixed choir (SATB), instruments
Ensemble score Violin 1,2
Item no.: 690347
"Den die Hirten lobeten sehre"
Schott Chormusik
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 204885
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Score
Item no.: 191613
for: Trumpet (C/B-flat), organ
Item no.: 281872
Geistliche Musik
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 557263
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
aus: Musae Sioniae I, 1605
for: Mixed choir (SSAATTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 294638
Zwei- bis fünfstimmige Gesänge aus "Musae Sioniae" (1610)
Zeitschrift fuer Spielmusik
for: BFL (2-5)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 414009
Christmas Settings for Vocal and Instrumental Ensemble
for: Mixed ensemble (6 voices)
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 569505
Weihnachtssätze für Vokal- und Instrumentalensemble
for: Choir (2 voices) a cappella
2 Scores
Item no.: 489617
Posaune & Streicher
for: Trombone, string orchestra
Sheet music
Item no.: 596936
for: Clarinet, string orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 591313
Zeitschrift für Spielmusik 319
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 413764
Zeitschrift fuer Spielmusik
for: 2 recorders (ST)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 413927
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 616173
Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 1340383
Weihnachtsmotette
aus "Paradisus musicus"
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Choir score
Item no.: 335219
aus: Magnificat octo tonorum
for: 4 voices [mixed choir], (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 423725
Kleine Reihe 1
for: Singstimme (S), gemischter Chor (SSATB) Basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 456365
Convivium Musicum 1
for: 4 voices [mixed choir], (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 238231
Treasury Choral
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 798376
Ankündigung der Geburt Jesu. Evangeliendialog - mixolydisch. Aus: Kleine geistliche Konzerte II (1639)
gleicher Notentext wie Ave Maria SWV 334, mit singbarer englischer Übersetzung
for: 2 soloists (SA), favorit choir (SSATB), 5 melodic instruments, organ
Score
Item no.: 231802
Zwölf geistliche Gesänge op. 13 Nr. 7 SWV 426
Motet on the Gospel text
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe
for: Mixed choir (SATB); 4 instruments colla parte, basso continuo ad lib.
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 232002
Zwölf geistliche Gesänge op. 13 Nr. 7 SWV 426
Motet on the Gospel text
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe
for: Mixed choir (SATB); 4 instruments colla parte, basso continuo ad lib.
Set of parts
Item no.: 232001
Zwölf geistliche Gesänge op. 13 Nr. 7 SWV 426
Motet on the Gospel text
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe
for: Mixed choir (SATB); 4 instruments colla parte, basso continuo ad lib.
Part 1
Item no.: 370646
Zwölf geistliche Gesänge op. 13 Nr. 7 SWV 426
Motet on the Gospel text
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe
for: Mixed choir (SATB); 4 instruments colla parte, basso continuo ad lib.
Part 4
Item no.: 370650
Zwölf geistliche Gesänge op. 13 Nr. 7 SWV 426
Motet on the Gospel text
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe
for: Mixed choir (SATB); 4 instruments colla parte, basso continuo ad lib.
Single part 2
Item no.: 370647
Zwölf geistliche Gesänge op. 13 Nr. 7 SWV 426
Motet on the Gospel text
Stuttgarter Schütz-Ausgabe
for: Mixed choir (SATB); 4 instruments colla parte, basso continuo ad lib.
Single part 3
Item no.: 370648
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Score
Item no.: 931711
Weihnachtsmotette
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 747098
for: Choir a Cappella
Score
Item no.: 890223
for: Choir
Score
Item no.: 851827
Dans une Etable Obscure
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1090073
The Renaissance Band 18
Item no.: 616984
for: Horn, organ
AUSGABE IN C-DUR
Item no.: 490967
Corpus Of Early Keyboard Music 4
for: Organ
Item no.: 289155
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Item no.: 314174
Evangelienmotette (Evangelienspruch) zum Neujahrstag
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 115537
Evangelienmotette (Evangelienspruch) zum Weihnachtsfest
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 115536
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Set of parts
Item no.: 576761
Historia der freuden- und gnadenreichen Geburt Gottes und Marien Sohnes Jesu Christi
Weihnachtshistorie
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Download (Audio)
Item no.: 1355823
for: Mixed choir (SSATTB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 235986
For God so loved this sinful world
from: Geistliche Chormusik
for: Mixed choir (SATTB); basso continuo ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 231821
"Den die Hirten lobeten sehre"
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 746921
Christmas Collection
for: Brass band
Score
Item no.: 885326