Life and career
Early life
Modern sources vary on the exact location and birthdate of Ishaq al-Mawsili. The arabist Everett K. Rowson (in Encyclopædia Iranica) and the musicologist Eckhard Neubauer (in Grove Music Online) record 767–768 and 767 respectively (150 AH),[1][3] while the musicologist Owen Wright (in the Encyclopaedia of Islam) records 772 (155 AH).[4] With similar contradiction, Rowsen and Wright state that he was born in Ray,[3][5] while Neubauer records Arrajan, though he includes '?', noting uncertainty on the matter.[1] Ishaq's father Ibrahim al-Mawsili, an Arab of Persian origin, received Arab and Persian musical training in Ray.[6] Ibrahim met and married Ishaq's mother Šāhak, before the family moved to Abbasid capital of Baghdad.[3] The capital was previously Damascus and had only recently become Baghdad upon the Abbasid dynasty's ascendancy; such a shift towards Persia was reflected in the Abbasid society, and Ibrahim was among the many emerging prominent Persian intellectuals of the Caliphate.[7][n 1] Ibrahim found considerable acclaim and patronage in the capital, serving under three successive Abbasid caliphs: Al-Mahdi, Al-Hadi and Harun al-Rashid.[6]
The success of his father allowed Ishaq to be raised "among the cultured elite",[3] being given a comprehensive education in both music and the Islamic sciences.[1] His teachers included the noted literary scholars Abu Ubaidah and Al-Asmaʿi.[3] Ishaq attended a high level of skill in poetry, primarily using traditional styles.[5] He was "known for his scholarly prowess",[4] particularly his knowledge of philology and jurisprudence (fiqh).[2] The caliph Al-Ma'mun would later permit him to attend court sessions with literary and legal scholars, rather than musicians, in light of his intellect.[3] Al-Ma'mun would also remark that he would have, in the words of Wright, "appointed him qadi [a judge] had he not already been known as a musician".[5] Ishaq's importance, however, lies chiefly with his musical contributions.[3] His principal teachers were his father Ibrahim and the noted lutenist Zalzal,[1] who was a student of his father.[6] Ishaq would later declare that Zalzal to be the most outstanding lutenist of his time.[8] The singer Atika bint Shuhda was also his teacher, and purportedly taught Ishaq one or two pieces each day for seven years.[9]
Musical career
In a career of over 40 years, Ishaq became both a leading court musician and companion to six caliphs: Harun, Al-Amin, Al-Ma'mun, Al-Mu'tasim, Al-Wathiq and Al-Mutawakkil.[1] He was given additional patronage by viziers and other important figures of the Abbasid court.[10] On one occasion Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani records that Ishaq identified a single mistuned string upon listening to twenty ouds simultaneously.[10] Also according to al-Isfahani, he was inspired by the Sasanian musician Barbad, and often told friends a story of Barbad being able to play a song on his barbat lute, even though a jealous rival had mistuned all of his strings.[11] Among Ishaq's students was 'Alī ibn Yaḥyā al-Munajjim (died 888)—the father of poet and music theorist Abu Ahmad Monajjem—who wrote a book on Ishaq al-Mawsili.[12] The geographer Ibn Khordadbeh is also said to have been his student,[13] as Khordadbeh's father Abdallah ibn Khordadbeh was a friend of Ishaq's.[14]
Like his father Ibrahim al-Mawsili, Ishaq al-Mawsili led a conservative musical faction,[1] upholding the classical Arab traditions of Hejaz.[10] This put him in opposition with the progressive musical ideology led by Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi,[1] who was joined by Ziryab, a pupil of Ibrahim al-Mawsili.[15] An Abbasid Prince, Ibrahim was "portrayed as a champion of greater freedom of expression" and noted for his musical innovations which often employed Persian aesthetics.[2] Contemporary sources frequently comment on the rivalry between Ishaq and Ibrahim and agree on Ishaq's musical preeminence,[10] particularly as an instrumentalist and composer.[4] Ishaq was celebrated for his technique, command of repertoire and musical ear,[5] and according to al-Isfahani he once purposefully played an out of tune oud to show up Ibrahim.[10] Contemporary sources relay that Ishaq had an unattractive singing voice,[10] and in this he was surpassed by Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi, who was famous for his tone and vocal range of four octaves.[2] To make up for his poor natural voice, Ishaq may have sung in falsetto, a technique that commentators such as al-Isfahani credit him with introducing.[10] Despite Ishaq's greater renown, Rowson notes that "it seems clear that the future lay with [Ibrahim]"; Ishaq's colleagues Allawayh al-Asar (Alluyah) and Mukhariq eventually joined Ibrahim's faction.[10]
By the time of Al-Wathiq (r. 842–847) Ishaq had ceased music composition, though he was still active as a performer.[16] In his later years he gradually became blind and died in Baghdad on March 850 (235 AH).[1][16]
