Heinrich Isaac (also Henricus, Arrigo d’Ugo, and
Arrigo il Tedesco) (around 1450 – 26 March 1517) was
a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He is
regarded as one of the most significant contemporaries
of Josquin Desprez, and had an especially large
influence on the subsequent development of music in
Germany.
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
docum...(+)
Heinrich Isaac (also Henricus, Arrigo d’Ugo, and
Arrigo il Tedesco) (around 1450 – 26 March 1517) was
a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He is
regarded as one of the most significant contemporaries
of Josquin Desprez, and had an especially large
influence on the subsequent development of music in
Germany.
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, Isaac returned to Italy, going to Florence to
make arrangements with the hospital Santa Maria Nuova;
payments were made to the hospital in return for health
and food provisions. Recently discovered documents
offer evidence that Isaac began making yearly payments
to the confraternity of Santa Barbara for mutual
assistance. On 15 August 1502, Isaac wrote his first
will which included names of his proprietors, alluding
to the fact that he was doing well to care for his wife
and property should anything happen to him. He then
traveled to Ferrara to the Este court where he wrote
the motet "La mi la sol la sol la mi" in merely two
days and competed with Josquin for employment: a famous
letter from the agent of the Este family compared the
two composers, saying that "[Isaac] is of a better
disposition among his companions, and he will compose
new works more often. It is true that Josquin composes
better, but he composes when he wants to and not when
one wants him to."
Although this piece was originally written for Chorus
(SATB), I created this arrangement for Flute Quartet (3
Flutes & Alto Flute).
