Scan 39
Groves Dictionary Of Music And Musicians,vol.3, 1907
21 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1KEISER
3without sacrificing his love of art or his taste for intellectual enjoyments. In 1700 he opened a series of winter-concerts, which formed a remarkable combination of intellectual and sensual gratification; the most accomplished virtuosi, the finest and best-looking singers, a good orchestra, and carefully selected programmes, furnishing the former, and a banquet of choice viands and wines the latter. In 1703 he assumed the direction of the opera in conjunction with Drusicke, but his partner absconded, and the whole burden fell upon the shoulders of Keiser. He proved equal to the emergency, for in one year (1709) he composed eight operas, married the daughter of a Hamburg patrician and musician to the municipality 'Oldenburg,' and, having completely reinstated his affairs, plunged into all his former extravagant indulgence. In 1716 he resumed his concerts, visited Copenhagen in 1717, and was at the court of Stuttgart from 1719-21; in 1722 he revisited Copenhagen to superintend the production of his opera 'Ulysses' and was appointed Kapellmeister to the King of Denmark; in 1728 was made cantor and canon of Hamburg Cathedral, and again turned his attention to sacred music. He composed operas up to the year 1738. His wife and daughter are said to have been accomplished singers.
5Keiser exercised an important though not a permanent influence on German opera. The perfection to which at first he raised the opera at Hamburg speedily degenerated into mere outward show and trivial if not vulgar farce; but the sensation he produced at first is described by his contemporaries as extraordinary. Mattheson, who was not likely to exaggerate the successes of a rival, in his life-like picture of the musical condition of Hamburg, calls Keiser the first dramatic composer in the world, and says that no other music than that of 'dieser galante Komponist' was either sung or listened to.1 His melodies were smooth and graceful, and fell upon the ear 'like charmed accents after the dull pedantries of the contrapuntists of the day.' That his melody was spontaneous his facility itself proves, and he was conspicuous in his endeavour to convey the sentiment of the character in the music. This was the secret of his success, and it was by this that he enabled German opera to hold its own against the declamation of the French, and the melody and fine singing of the Italians.
7In sacred music he shines chiefly in oratorio, which he treated dramatically, but with an earnestness and dignity surprising in a man of his character. His sacred compositions include 'Der für die Sünde der Welt gemarterte und sterbende Jesus,' 1712; 'Der verurtheilte und gekreuzigte Jesus,' published 1715 (poem by Brockes of Hamburg); a Passion according to St. Mark, and other historical oratorios, motets, cantatas and psalms. He published extracts from the two first-named works, viz. 'Ausserlesene Soliloquia' (1714), and 'Selige Erlösungs-Gedanken' (1715); airs from various operas, cantatas for a single voice, and several vocal collections with various titles, such as 'Gemüthsergötzung' (1698); 'Divertimenti serenissimi' (1713); 'Musikalische Landlust' (1714); 'Kaiserliche Friedenspost' (1715), etc. Important modern reprints of Keiser's works are 'Octavia' (supplement to Händelgesellschaft edition (1902) and 'Krosus' and 'In ganno fedele,' D.D.T. xxxvii. and xxxviii. Portions of his operas and sacred works have been published by Lindner, in his Erste stehende deutsche Oper, ii. 3-15; Reissmann, in his Allg. Geschichte der Musik, iii. 54-73 and App. Nos. 7 and 8; and von Winterfeld in his Evangelische Kirchengesang, vol. iii. Examples are also to be found in the Oxf. Hist. Mus., vol. iv., The Age of Bach and Handel. Adam Hiller included an unaccompanied motet—'Kindlich gross'—in his Vierstimmige Motetten, etc., vol. ii.; and there is a fugue for four voices, 'Gott ist offenbaret,' in the Auswahl vorzüglicher Musikwerke. A full catalogue of his works is in the Vierteljahrschrift, vol. vi. pp. 196-203, and a condensed list in Q.-L.
91 See his Musikalische Patriot for list of operas given in Hamburg, and Mattheson's other books for criticism on his music. Keiser contributed some remarks to Mattheson's Neu-eröffnetes Orchester.
11KELLER one of two readings
12(See OPERA and ORATORIO.) one of two readings
14BIBL.—CHRYSNANDER, Geschichte der Hamburger Oper (A.M.Z., 1878-79); KLEFFELD, Das Orchester der Hamburger Oper (I.M.G. Sammelb. 1. 213).
16KÉLER BÉLA (ADALBERT VON KÉLER) (b. Bartfeld, Hungary, Feb. 13, 1820; d. Wiesbaden, Nov. 20, 1882). After attempting both the law and farming he settled himself to music, and in 1845 began regular study at Vienna under Schlesinger and Sechter, playing the fiddle in the band of the Theatre 'an der Wien' at the same time. On May 7, 1854, he took the command of Gungl's band in Berlin, and began his career as conductor, solo player and composer. After a few months in Berlin he returned to Vienna, and succeeded to Lanner's position at the head of that celebrated band in 1855. This again he left in 1856 for an infantry regiment. As bandmaster to the latter he was called to Wiesbaden in 1863, and in 1870 became Kapellmeister of the Kur orchestra there, a post which he resigned from ill-health in 1872. He celebrated his silver anniversary on May 7, 1879. His works, which reach op. 130, consist of overtures, dance music, and pieces for solo violin, all distinguished for showy, brilliant style and clever orchestration. Among the most popular are his 'Hoffnungssterne' waltz, 'Hurrah-Sturm' galop, and 'Friedrich-Karl' march.
18KELLER, FORTUNATO, see CHELLERI.
20KELLER, GODFREY (d. before 1707), a teacher of music who settled in London near the
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