Reinhard Keiser

Reinhard Keiser - baptized the January 12th 1674 with Teuchern in Saxony-Anhalt; died the September 12th 1739 with Hamburg - is a German Compositeur.

Biography

Wire of the Organist and teacher Gottfried Keiser (born towards 1650) of Teuchern, Reinhard passes its childhood in its birthplace and receives the instruction of various organists of Teuchern. At the 11 years age, it leaves its family to enter in Thomasschule of Leipzig, where it has as Masters Johann Schelle and Johann Kuhnau, direct predecessor of Johann Sebastian Bach.

In 1694, Keiser becomes type-setter of room at the court of the duke of Braunschweig - Wolfenbüttel, but it was probably already on the spot as of 1692 to study the opera. Since 1691, the town of Braunschweig had a room of opera of 1200 places, in which one had interpreted his opera Procris und Cephalus ; in addition, the same year, its opera Basilius had been given to Hamburg - of this representation, the musicologist Johann Mattheson noted: “ Basilus was accepted with great success and applause. ”

In 1697 Keiser settles definitively in Hamburg, to become Choirmaster to the Gänsemarkt Oper . Begin a profitable period then where it composes of many works for the needs for the city. Beside the operas, other works are born: Aria S, Duet S, Cantata S, serenade S, music of church and large Oratorio S, Chamber music and continuations for orchestra.

Of 1703 with 1709, Keiser ensures the direction of the Oper amndt Gänsemarkt , public institution with commercial goal, contrary with the operas of court intended for the nobility. Two to three representations are given there each week.

The topics of the operas of Keiser are generally drawn from mythology gréco-Roman - more than 20 librettists work successively for him. Among more than 70 operas which it composed, eights were completely preserved.

It will be noted that among the personalities attached to the Gänsemarkt Oper , one counts five musicians of great reputation.

Reinhard Keiser - type-setter, choirmaster and director;
Johann Mattheson - type-setter, Singer and Harpsichordist;
Gottfried Grünewald - singer;
Starting from 1707 Georg Friedrich Haendel - second Violin, harpsichordist, and thereafter, type-setter;
Christoph Graupner - harpsichordist and type-setter.

It is advisable to also quote the oratorios of Keiser, of which only three remained to us: the Brockes-Passion , DER zum Tode verurteilte und gekreuzigte Jesus and the passion according to Saint Marc . The latter was copied by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1713 with Weimar and was interpreted with Leipzig in 1726. For this reason the music research a long time allotted this work to the Thomaskantor .

In 1718, because of the sorry state of the Gänsemarkt-Oper , Keiser leaves Hamburg to seek another employment. For that, it goes in Thuringe, but a little later one finds it at the court of Stuttgart. From this period exist three manuscripts of sonatas in trio for Flûte, Violon and Basse continues. During the summer 1721, Keiser is of return to Hamburg, but hardly a few weeks later, it goes to Copenhagen with a troop of opera hambourgeoise. This so fast exile of Hamburg is probably explained by the influence growing of Georg Philipp Telemann, engaged during the absence of Keiser by the magistrate of the Hanseatic Cité. Between 1721 and 1727, Keiser travels regularly between Hamburg and Copenhagen, and receives the title of royal Choirmaster Danish .

After the dissolution of the troop of opera, Keiser settles again in Hamburg, but, because of the changes of mode, it tests difficulties of reproducing successes of the past. Three operas of the period between 1722 and 1734 reached us. The personal relations with Telemann are rather good, Telemann programming several representations of the operas of Keiser.

At the time when Mattheson is reached of deafness, Keiser succeeds to him the station of cantor of the cathedral (Domkantor). Here, its work compositionnel is especially centered on the needs for the church.

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