Little is known about Isaac's early life, but it is probable that he was born in Flanders. It is known that he was writing music by the mid 1470s, and the first documentary reference to him is from 1484, when he was court composer at Innsbruck. The following year, he entered the service of Lorenzo de' Medici at Florence, where he was organist, choir master, and teacher to Lorenzo's children; he assumed this post on the death of Antonio Squarcialupi. One of his students in Florence was the future Pope Leo X. In 1494, the Medici were banished from Florence; the era of Savonarola was beginning, and Isaac was left to find employment elsewhere. However, he had married a Florentine and so maintained a household there throughout the remainder of his life.
By 1497, Isaac was in the employ of Emperor Maximilian I. He travelled widely in Germany, and is credited with having a big influence on German composers of the time. In 1502, he returned to Italy, going to Florence and then Ferrara, where he competed with Josquin for employment: a famous letter from the agent of the d'Este family compared the two composers, saying that "Isaac is of a better nature than Josquin, and while it is true that Josquin is a better composer, he only composes when he wants to, and not when asked; Isaac will compose when you want him to."
Isaac returned to Florence in 1514, and died there in 1517.
Isaac composed a wide variety of music, including masses, motets, German and Italian songs and instrumental music. He was one of the most prolific composers of his time, but his work has been largely neglected in favour of Josquin (although the composer Anton Webern wrote his thesis on Isaac). His best known work is probably the lied Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen, of which he made at least two versions. It is possible, however, that the melody itself is not by Isaac, and only the setting is original. The same melody was later used as the theme for the Lutheran chorale O Welt, ich muss dich lassen, which was the basis of works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Johannes Brahms.
Isaac is held in high regard for his Choralis Constantinus. It is a huge anthology of over 450 chant-based polyphonic motets for the Proper of the Mass. It had its origins in a commission that Isaac received from the Cathedral in Konstanz, Germany in April of 1508 to set many of the Propers unique to the local liturgy. Isaac was in Konstanz because Maximilian had called a meeting of the Reichstag (German Parliament of nobles) there and Isaac was on hand to provide music for the Imperial court chapel choir. After the deaths of both Maximilian and Isaac, Ludwig Senfl, who had been Isaac's pupil as a member of the Imperial court choir, gathered all the Isaac settings of the Proper and placed them into liturgical order for the church year. But the anthology was not published until 1555, after Senfl's death by which time the reforms of the Council of Trent had made many of the texts obsolete. The motets remain some of the finest examples of chant-based Renaissance polyphony in existence.
The influence of Isaac was especially profound in Germany, since he was the first significant master of the Franco-Flemish polyphonic style who both lived there, and whose music was widely distributed there. It was through him that the polyphonic style of the Netherlanders became widely accepted in Germany, making possible the further development of contrapuntal music there.
Innsbruck ich muß dich lassen
Heinrich Isaac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ich fahr dahin mein Straßen
In fremde Land dahin
Mein Freud ist mir genommen
Die ich nit weiß bekommen
Wo ich im Elend bin
Wo ich im Elend bin
Das ich allein tu klagen
Dem liebsten Buhlen mein
Ach Lieb, nun lass mich Armen
Im Herzen dein erbarmen
Dass ich muss von dannen sein
Dass ich muss von dannen sein
Mein Trost ob allen Weiben
Dein tu ich ewig bleiben
Stet, treu der Ehren frumm
Nun muss dich Gott bewahren
In aller Tugend sparen
Bis dass ich wiederkumm
Bis dass ich wiederkumm
The song "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen" by Heinrich Isaac is a bittersweet farewell to the city of Innsbruck, sung by a departing traveler. The lyrics express the singer's deep sadness and longing as they prepare to leave their beloved Innsbruck and embark on a journey to a foreign land. The singer laments the loss of their joy and happiness, which they were unable to attain and now must leave behind in their misery.
The first stanza conveys the singer's reluctance to part with Innsbruck, referring to the city as "my streets" and acknowledging the upcoming journey to a strange land. They express their sorrow at losing their beloved, whose identity is not revealed in the lyrics. The repetition of the phrase "where I am in misery" emphasizes the singer's despair and the sense of being abandoned.
In the second stanza, the singer reveals the magnitude of their sorrow, which they can only express in their lonely lamentations. They beseech their beloved to have mercy on their poor heart, acknowledging their need to depart. The plea is filled with longing and sadness, as the singer must leave behind the comfort of their beloved's heart.
However, amidst the sorrow and longing, the singer finds solace in knowing that they will remain faithful to their beloved above all other women. They promise eternal loyalty, honoring their beloved's righteousness and vowing to return. The final lines express the hope that God will protect and preserve their beloved, allowing them to maintain their virtue until the singer's eventual return.
Overall, the song portrays the deeply felt emotions of departure, longing, and devotion. It captures the pain of leaving behind a beloved place and person, showcasing the universal experiences of loss and the bittersweet nature of saying farewell.
Line by Line Meaning
Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen
Innsbruck, I must leave you
Ich fahr dahin mein Straßen
I travel down my streets
In fremde Land dahin
To a foreign land I go
Mein Freud ist mir genommen
My joy is taken from me
Die ich nit weiß bekommen
Which I do not know how to obtain
Wo ich im Elend bin
Where I am in misery
Groß Leid muss ich jetzt tragen
Great sorrow I must bear now
Das ich allein tu klagen
That I alone complain about
Dem liebsten Buhlen mein
To my dearest lover
Ach Lieb, nun lass mich Armen
Oh love, now let me, poor one,
Im Herzen dein erbarmen
Have mercy in your heart
Dass ich muss von dannen sein
That I must be gone
Mein Trost ob allen Weiben
My comfort above all women
Dein tu ich ewig bleiben
I will forever be yours
Stet, treu der Ehren frumm
Constant, faithful, and honorable
Nun muss dich Gott bewahren
Now God must protect you
In aller Tugend sparen
Preserve in all virtue
Bis dass ich wiederkumm
Until I return
Lyrics © Public Domain
Written by: Heinrich Isaac, Wolfram Karl
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thomasandreassosna9093
Bach soll ja über dieses Lied gesagt haben, dass er es hätte schreiben müssen, wenn es nicht schon geschrieben worden wäre. Und für wahr, egal in welcher Melodie- oder Textfassung, es dringt immer tief in die Seele ein. Wohl eines der schönsten Werke, die je verfasst wurden!
@martinzamoranomusic
Quelle?
@thomasandreassosna9093
@@martinzamoranomusic Keine Ahnung, mir hat das mal ein anderer Kirchenmusiker erzählt, wo er die Behauptung her hatte weiß ich nicht. Deswegen wählte ich ja auch die Formulierung "soll gesagt haben".
@martinzamoranomusic
@@thomasandreassosna9093 alles gut, danke, wär wirklich daran interessiert gewesen! Es werden leider immer wieder viel zu viele viel zu wuchtige angebliche Zitate JSB posthum zugeschrieben und irgendwann weiß man nicht mehr wer dieser großartiger Komponist war. Aber es geht eigentlich um Isaac hier, und ja, es ist ein großartiges Lied einer vergangenen Zeit, das trotzdem sehr aktuell erklingt
@robinnielsen6953
Sehr schoen
@elizabethpardon6010
Oui, plein de charme et de simplicité !
@reginatorquetti6527
Lindíssima!!!! Que delícia de ouvir!!!!
@TamsinJones
Beautifully performed and thank you for sharing. But you might wish to amend your notes - Isaac would have had a bit of a job composing the piece in 1539, having been dead for around 20 years by that time!
@mauriziomarchetto6427
e' UNA MERAVIGLIA CANTARLA A 4 VOCI.
@jameshelgeson4668
It's actually rather earlier, as Isaac died in 1517. But 1539 marks an important publication...