Isaac was the first musician in Western music history known to have been employed exclusively to produce musical works, serving as Hofkomponist (court composer) for Maximilian I.
Compositional Technique
Isaac's work often incorporated unusual source material, including a Muslim call to prayer, a street cry about sausages, and a courtly dance tune called La Spagna.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in collaboration with the Festival de musique à Maguelone, an annual event held in the prestigious Maguelone Cathedral in the south of France.
Cultural Impact
Isaac's best-known work today, "Innsbruck, ich mus dich lassen," gained fame through its adaptation into a Lutheran chorale in the mid-16th century.
Composer Biography
Heinrich Isaac, the composer featured on this album, was called a "musical chameleon" by modern scholars due to the sheer quantity and bewildering variety of styles and forms in his music.
Composer's Artistic Vision
For Renaissance composers like Isaac, skillfully manipulating pre-existing melodies was a primary way to demonstrate their talent, often drawing from secular songs and traditional church chants.
Composer Biography
Isaac's student, Ludwig Senfl, diligently preserved much of his master's work in elegant manuscript copies, ensuring a great deal of Isaac's music survived.
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