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Heinrich IsaacFlemish composer
Date of Birth: 01.01.1450
Country:  Belgium |
Content:
Early Life and Career
Henri Isaac, a Flemish composer, was born in Flanders, but the exact date and location of his birth remain unknown. His musical career began in the mid-1470s, and his first documented appointment was as court composer in Innsbruck in 1484.
Service in Florence
The following year, Isaac entered the service of Lorenzo de' Medici in Florence, where he served as an organist, choirmaster, and music teacher. He was also a singer and composer at the churches of Santa Maria del Fiore, Santissima Annunziata, and the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist. Records show payments to Isaac for his services at Santa Maria del Fiore from July 1495, and he served at Santissima Annunziata from October 1486. From October 1491 to April 1492, he worked alongside Alexander Agricola and Johannes Ghiselin.
Patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de' Medici highly valued Isaac's talents and extended his patronage. He even arranged Isaac's marriage to Bartolomea Bello, the daughter of a butcher named Piero Bello. In February 1489, it is noted that Isaac resided in the San Lorenzo quarter, where the Medici palace was located, following a dispute with Lorenzo Gianberti over a debt.
Isaac composed music for Medici's spiritual drama "San Giovanni e San Paolo" (1488). After Lorenzo's death in 1492, Isaac accompanied his heir, Piero, to Rome.
Later Career
With the decline of Florence and the rise of Savonarola, Isaac's choir in Florence was disbanded in 1493. He then entered the private service of Piero de' Medici, who was exiled in 1494. This event severed Isaac's ties to his patron.
In 1497, Isaac became court composer to Emperor Maximilian I, accompanying him on his travels through Italy. He traveled extensively in Germany and greatly influenced German composers, establishing the first professional German polyphonic school of composition. Ludwig Senfl, the prominent German polyphonist, was among his students.
In 1502, Isaac returned to Italy and lived initially in Florence, later moving to Ferrara, where he competed for a position with Josquin des Prez. A famous letter comparing the two composers, addressed to the d'Este family, states: "Isaac has a better character than Josquin, and while it is true that Josquin is a better composer, he composes only when he wants to, not when asked; Isaac, however, will compose whenever you wish."
Legacy
Henri Isaac died in Florence in 1517, leaving behind a vast body of compositions, including secular and sacred works, masses, motets, and songs (26 German, 10 Italian, 6 Latin). He was one of the most prolific musicians of his time, but his works were overshadowed by those of Josquin des Prez, despite Anton Webern's doctoral dissertation on Isaac. His most famous composition is the song "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen," which incorporates elements of folk music. It is believed that Isaac may have arranged this melody, which later became a Protestant chorale associated with the Reformation ("O Welt, ich muss dich lassen").
Isaac's final project was the "Choralis Constantinus," a groundbreaking cycle of masses for the entire liturgical year, but he was unable to complete it. His pupil, Ludwig Senfl, finished the series, which was published in 1555.
