Henricus isaac biography

Heinrich Isaac (ca.
Heinrich Isaac was a Netherlandish composer of south Netherlandish origin during the Renaissance era.
Heinrich Isaac (born c.

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Heinrich Isaac

Biography

Life

Heinrich Isaac (Brabant, 1450 - Florence, 1517) received a good education and married, but likely remained childless. Between 1480 and 1492 he worked for Lorenzo de Medici in Florence. He was an organist for the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Later he became court composer for Emperor Maximilian I in Vienna. After which he spent some time in Innsbruck.

In 1497 Emperor MaximilIan I appointed him court composer, the most prestigious position a musician could hold. In 1503 he was also a candidate for the position of kapellmeister in Ferrara. Although Isaac was known for his ability to compose quickly and was easier to work with, the position went to Josquin Desprez, who was more willful and had more substantial financial demands. However, Josquin Deprez was a more famous composer, so Isaac was passed over. Isaac stayed court composer in Vienna and Innsbruck, but frequently traveled to Florence and re-established himself there 3 years before his death.

Composer

Many know Heinrich Isaac for of his Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen. However, Isa

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Heinrich Isaac

The Franco-Flemish composer Heinrich Isaac (around 1450 – 1517) was, together with Josquin Desprez, probably one of the most productive and influential of the early Renaissance. Heinrich Isaac’s early life, his musical education and the possible teachers are not known. The education must have been excellent and was already completed in the years before 1476 due to the dating of an early manuscript with three motets.

Born in Flanders, he spent much of his life travelling through Europe. After about ten years at the splendid court of Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, he became court composer to Emperor Maximilian the First in Vienna and Innsbruck. This office gave him the opportunity to travel through the empire and spend further years in Florence. There he enjoyed particular popularity.

Heinrich Isaac, together with Josquin Desprez, Jacob Obrecht and Pierre de la Rue, was one of those composers who represented a musical “ars perfecta”. Isaac was regarded in Italy before 1500, north of the Alps, as a truly famous, extremely fruitful and

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Heinrich Isaac (c.1450-1517) - A discography

Alia Vox AVSA 9895A+F [SACDx6]
Erasmus von Rotterdam
Éloge de la Folie - Praise of Folly
Hespèrion XXI & La Capella Reial de Catalunya – Jordi Savall, dir.

Allegro al 14 & al 72 [LPx4, mono]
Music of the Gothic Period and the Early Renaissance
Vielle Trio & Du Bose Robertson

Allegro LEG 9019 [LP, mono]
Music of the Gothic Period and the early Renaissance
Vielle Trio & Du Bose Robertson

Archiv 445 667-2 (box, 445 668 / 445 674 on CD) (7 CDs)
Geistliche Musik der Renaissance - The flowering of Renaissance choral music
Pro Cantione Antiqua et al. - Bruno Turner, dir.

Archiv Produktion 2523 070 [LPx6]
Geistliche Musik der Renaissance
Various performers

Archiv Produktion 629 517/8 [2 LPs]
Flemish Music and society in the XVth and XVIth centuries - La musique flamande dans la société des XVe et XVIe siècles
Pro Musica Antiqua - Safford Cape, dir. and others

Argo D40D3 [LPx3]
Festival of Early Music - Music from 14th Century Florence, Music