Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen
"Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen" ("Innsbruck, I Must Leave You") is a Renaissance song written in German. It was first published as a choral movement by the Franco-Flemish composer Heinrich Isaac (1450–1517); the melody was probably written by him. The lyricist is unknown; an authorship of Emperor Maximilian I, as was previously assumed, seems highly unlikely.
Melody
There has been doubt whether the melody was in fact written by Heinrich Isaac or copied from earlier tunes. The melody was later used in a Lutheran chorale, "O Welt, ich muß dich lassen".
"Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen" MIDI version |
The song exists in two different four-part settings by Heinrich Isaac: a Diskantlied with the melody in the soprano part, and a Tenorlied with the cantus firmus in the tenor part.
The hymn "In allen meinen Taten" by Paul Fleming (1609–1640) was written for the same melody. Johann Sebastian Bach used it in several cantatas, especially in the chorale cantata In allen meinen Taten, BWV 97 (1734).
Lyrics
The song is famously associated with the city of Innsbruck in Tyrol (in modern-day Austria). The lyrics express sorrow at having to leave a post at court, as the singer is forced to abandon his love and to depart to a foreign country. He promises her faithfulness and recommends her to God's protection. Though Heinrich Isaac indeed spent some time in Innsbruck, the text was probably not written by him.
The stanzaic form consists of six iambic trimeters with an unusual A-A-B-C-C-B rhyme scheme.
Original German lyrics | |
---|---|
Insbruck, ich muß dich laßen
|
Innsbruck, I must leave you; |
See also
References
Notes
Sources
- "Chorale Melodies used in Bach's Vocal Works: 'O Welt, ich muß dich lassen / Nun ruhen alle Wälder'". Bach Cantatas Website bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
- "Heinrich Isaac (Composer)". Poets & Composers: Short Biographies. bach-cantatas.com. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
- Modern German and English lyrics of "Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen"
External links
- Free scores of "Innsbruck ich muss dich lassen" (Heinrich Isaac) in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- "Innsbruck ich muss dich lassen" (Heinrich Isaac): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Innsbruck, ich muss dich lassen. |