Learning the organ from his father in Turkheim, Kayser went to school in Munich and entered a monastery in Marchtal. It was Swabian with Premonstrantensian and Benedictine leanings. In 1741 he became the monastery's musical director and remained for ten years. After that he worked as a parish priest in small villages returning to Marchtal in 1761. Kayser was one of the best known "Bavarian" composers of his time and perhaps one of the most important. The quality lacking in his music is one of melodic innovation. With that as an exception Kayser's musical adeptness and forward-sightedness helped to develope the liturgical music in Germany as well as the Classical sonata form. The instrumental music that Kayser composed was indicative of this advancement. In liturgical music he would compose using the standard SATB solo and chorus with two violins, continuo, and occasional trumpets and drums but the structures were much more demanding than those considered normative. The masses and psalm settings were particularly scored for larger settings. He was masterful with counterpoint and choral textures in homophonic works were made interesting by his use of complex harmonic progressions and movements comprised of thematic contrasts. Kayser also had an ability to set texts in a dramatically effective and emotive manner with demands placed both on string players and choral members. Innovatively Kayser was among the first composers to write for the nuances of the violin in strictly liturgical mediums. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi