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His life works include many operas and Singspiele, cantatas, oratorios, and instrumental compositions. Some of his works are available on compact disk by special order from larger music stores.
Life
Reinhard Keiser learned the various musical disciplines from age 11 at St. Thomas’ seminary at Leipzig. Engaged by the court at Brunswick he had his first success (1692) with the opera "Il ré pastore".
He managed and directed the Hamburg opera beginning in 1703, where, from 1706 to 1709, Graupner was his harpsichordist. While engaged at the Gansemarktoper (Hamburg Opera House) he wrote over 100 operas. His greatest successes were Stortebecker (1701) and Krosus. A sort of legend has grown around a argument at the Hamburg Opera between Keiser, Händel and Mattheson that ended in a swordfight.
In 1728 Keiser became cantor of the Hamburg Cathedral. As his musical life had started in religion so it would end. While at the Hamburg Cathedral he devoted his live to composing religious music, including many: Passions, cantatas, motets, Psalms.
Keiser is mentioned in a letter (1775) from Carl Philip Emanuel Bach to Forkel as one whose works his father had especially valued in his later years.
(contributed by Dan Keiser <christys
communique.net>)