Reinhard Keiser (January 9, 1674–September 12, 1739) was a popular German o… Read Full Bio ↴Reinhard Keiser (January 9, 1674–September 12, 1739) was a popular German opera composer based in Hamburg. He wrote over a hundred operas, and in 1745 Johann Adolph Scheibe considered him an equal to Johann Kuhnau, George Frideric Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann (also related to the Hamburg Opera), but his work was largely forgotten for many decades.
He was born in Teuchern (in present Saxony-Anhalt), son of the organist and teacher Gottfried Keiser (born about 1650), and educated by other organists in the town and then from 11 at the Thomas School in Leipzig, where his teachers included Johann Schelle and Johann Kuhnau, direct predecessors of Johann Sebastian Bach.
In 1694, he became court-composer to the duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, though he had probably come to the court already as early as 1692 to study its renowned operas, which had been going on since 1691, when the city had built a 1200-seater opera-house. Keiser put on his first opera Procris und Cephalus there and, the same year, his opera Basilius was put on at Hamburg and, as the musicologist Johann Mattheson noted, "received with great success and applause."
This was a fruitful period for him - composing not only operas, but arias, duets, cantatas, sérénades, church music and big oratorios, background music - all for the city's use.
About 1697 he settled permanently in Hamburg, and became the chief composer at the highly renowned Gaensemarktoper (now rebuilt as the Hamburg State Opera) in Hamburg from 1697 to 1717. From 1703 to 1709, Keiser he moved it from being a public institution to a commercial entity with two to three representations per week, in contrast to the operas intended for nobility.
In 1718, with the Hamburg Opera defunct, he left Hamburg to seek other employment, going to Thuringia and then Stuttgart. From this period three manuscripts of sonatas in trio for flute, violin and low continuous survive. During the summer 1721, he returned to Hamburg, but only a few weeks later made a rapid exit to Copenhagen with a Hamburg opera troop, probably because of the growing influence of Georg Philipp Telemann, engaged by the city magistrate in Keiser's absence. Between 1721 and 1727, Keiser traveled back and forth between Hamburg and Copenhagen, receiving the title of Master of the Danish Royal Chapel.
After the dissolution of the opera troop, Keiser returned once more to Hamburg, but changes in its modus operandi made repeating past success difficult. Three operas from the period between 1722 and 1734 survive. Personal relations with Telemann remained good, with Telemann programing several productions of Keiser's operas.
In 1728 he became the cathedral precentor of Hamburg, and wrote largely church music there until his death in 1739.
He was born in Teuchern (in present Saxony-Anhalt), son of the organist and teacher Gottfried Keiser (born about 1650), and educated by other organists in the town and then from 11 at the Thomas School in Leipzig, where his teachers included Johann Schelle and Johann Kuhnau, direct predecessors of Johann Sebastian Bach.
In 1694, he became court-composer to the duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, though he had probably come to the court already as early as 1692 to study its renowned operas, which had been going on since 1691, when the city had built a 1200-seater opera-house. Keiser put on his first opera Procris und Cephalus there and, the same year, his opera Basilius was put on at Hamburg and, as the musicologist Johann Mattheson noted, "received with great success and applause."
This was a fruitful period for him - composing not only operas, but arias, duets, cantatas, sérénades, church music and big oratorios, background music - all for the city's use.
About 1697 he settled permanently in Hamburg, and became the chief composer at the highly renowned Gaensemarktoper (now rebuilt as the Hamburg State Opera) in Hamburg from 1697 to 1717. From 1703 to 1709, Keiser he moved it from being a public institution to a commercial entity with two to three representations per week, in contrast to the operas intended for nobility.
In 1718, with the Hamburg Opera defunct, he left Hamburg to seek other employment, going to Thuringia and then Stuttgart. From this period three manuscripts of sonatas in trio for flute, violin and low continuous survive. During the summer 1721, he returned to Hamburg, but only a few weeks later made a rapid exit to Copenhagen with a Hamburg opera troop, probably because of the growing influence of Georg Philipp Telemann, engaged by the city magistrate in Keiser's absence. Between 1721 and 1727, Keiser traveled back and forth between Hamburg and Copenhagen, receiving the title of Master of the Danish Royal Chapel.
After the dissolution of the opera troop, Keiser returned once more to Hamburg, but changes in its modus operandi made repeating past success difficult. Three operas from the period between 1722 and 1734 survive. Personal relations with Telemann remained good, with Telemann programing several productions of Keiser's operas.
In 1728 he became the cathedral precentor of Hamburg, and wrote largely church music there until his death in 1739.
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02Ich liege und schlafe ganz mit Frieden: Meine Seele ruht in Gottes Hand (Soprano)2:49Reinhard Keiser
04Ich liege und schlafe ganz mit Frieden: Wenn Gott mir hilft und mich erhalt, was kann mir schaden (Tenor)1:19Reinhard Keiser
05Ich liege und schlafe ganz mit Frieden: Wenn Gott mir hilft und mich erhalt, kann ich wohl bleiben (Soprano)1:23Reinhard Keiser
12Wir gingen alle in die Irre: Recitativo: Und er stund auf von dem Gebet (Tenor, Bass)1:15Reinhard Keiser
14Wir gingen alle in die Irre: Recitativo: Da aber sahen, die um ihn waren (Tenor)0:11Reinhard Keiser
15Wir gingen alle in die Irre: Herr, sollen wir mit dem Schwert dareinschlagen? (Chorus)0:33Reinhard Keiser
16Wir gingen alle in die Irre: Recitativo: Und einer aus ihnen schlug des Hohenpriesters Knecht (Tenor, Bass, Soprano)2:29Reinhard Keiser
18Wir gingen alle in die Irre: Recitativo: Und uber eine kleine Weile (Tenor, Soprano, Alto)2:06Reinhard Keiser
20Wir gingen alle in die Irre: Accompagnato: Ergreif nun Dolch und Strick (Tenor)1:10Reinhard Keiser
21Wir gingen alle in die Irre: Aria lamentosa: Rinnet, ihr betranten Augen (Tenor)4:20Reinhard Keiser
22Wir gingen alle in die Irre: Recitativo: Die Manner aber, die Jesum hielten (Tenor)0:20Reinhard Keiser
25Wir gingen alle in die Irre: Aria furiosa: Zeuget, ihr Wolken, ergrimmete Blitze (Bass)1:41Reinhard Keiser
31Seelige Erlosungs-Gedancken: Recitativo: Bejammert meinen Jammer-Stand (Soprano)0:30Reinhard Keiser
32Seelige Erlosungs-Gedancken: Accompagnato: Ihr Henker, ach, mit welcher Tyrannei (Soprano)1:44Reinhard Keiser
33Seelige Erlosungs-Gedancken: Aria: Kann nicht mein bittrer Tranen-Regen (Soprano)3:48Reinhard Keiser
37Seelige Erlosungs-Gedancken: Accompagnato: Herr, schliesse mich in dein Gedachtnus ein (Bass)0:28Reinhard Keiser
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Keiser: Passion Music
Reinhard Keiser Lyrics
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