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.
La morra
Heinrich Isaac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vo chamke chanda ko trh ×2
Chaaro or mjhe andhiyaara lage
Mora baalam mohe itna pyaara lage ×2
Chandani ko chamak b na bhaae mjhe
Ab koi baat bhi na raas aae mjhe ×2
Mera jag soona soona h tere bin
Ek tu hi jeene ka sahara lage ×2
Vo chamke chanda ki trh ×2
Chaaro or mjhe andhiyaara lage
Mora baalam mohe itna pyaara lage ×2
The first two lines of Heinrich Isaac's song, La Morra, can be translated to "My beloved appears so beloved to me, shining like the moon." This opening sets the tone for the song, which is a love song about a person's beloved appearing beautiful to them, even in the dark. The singer describes how the darkness around them does not matter because their love shines like the brightest light. The last two lines of the verse, "All around seems dark to me," emphasize the significance of the beloved's light and its ability to brighten the singer's world, even in the midst of darkness.
In the second verse, the singer expresses their love for their beloved by stating how even the stars and moon appear dull in comparison. The lyrics, "The moon does not sparkle like you," portrays the profound admiration the singer holds for their loved one. The singer goes on to say how their world feels empty without their beloved's presence and how everything around them seems silent. The final lines of the song, "You are the only support for my life," reveal the depth of emotion the singer feels toward their beloved, emphasizing how much they means to their existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Mora baalam mohe itna pyaara lage ×2
My beloved seems so lovely to me
Vo chamke chanda ko trh ×2
He shines like the moon
Chaaro or mjhe andhiyaara lage
Everything around me seems dark
Chandani ko chamak b na bhaae mjhe
I am not impressed by the moon's brightness
Ab koi baat bhi na raas aae mjhe ×2
Nothing else appeals to me anymore
Mera jag soona soona h tere bin
My world is empty without you
Tere sang hi mehke mere raat din
Only with you, my nights and days are fragrant
Ek tu hi jeene ka sahara lage ×2
You alone are my support for living
Vo chamke chanda ki trh ×2
He shines like the moon
Chaaro or mjhe andhiyaara lage
Everything around me seems dark
Mora baalam mohe itna pyaara lage ×2
My beloved seems so lovely to me
Contributed by Bailey Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dago Rairan
Que deleite para mis oídos es esta melodía apesar de haber sido compuesta ya hace mucho tiempo se respira mucha tranquilidad al escucharla tal ves así fue esa época apesar de las confrontaciones que hubieron gracias x compartirla Isaac música inmortal
andré le gall
Beautiful Fabio...music a little Strange between two period but very pleasing! Bravo!
MrFabio58
Thank you André, it's really fun to play this music.