1813–1875

Introduction

portrait

Born: March 20, 1813, Ulm, Ger­ma­ny.

Died: Oc­to­ber 13, 1875, Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts.

Buried: Ho­ly­hood Ce­me­te­ry, Brook­line, Mas­sa­chu­setts.

Biography

Matthias was the son of Ma­ria An­na Treu Kell­er.

He stu­died mu­sic in Stutt­gart and Vi­en­na, played vio­lin the Vien­nese Roy­al Cha­pel, and was an ar­my band­mas­ter for se­ver­al years.

He moved to Am­er­ica in 1846, and played in the­aters in Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia.

He lat­er be­gan mak­ing vio­lins, and con­duct­ed op­era in New York Ci­ty.

Works

Poem

Peace on Earth

Great Jehovah! turn Thine eye
On Thy people gathered here;
Nations bow to Thee on high—
Deign, O Lord, our prayer to hear.
Peace on earth, good will to men,
Father! we implore of Thee;
Shield us from war’s direful bane;
From its evils keep us free.

Hear the widow’s lonely cry!
War has laid her all in dust;
Orphans, too, with tearful eye,
Look to Thee—in Thee they trust.
Peace on earth, good will to men,
Father! we implore of Thee;
Shield us from war’s direful bane;
From its evils keep us free.

God of grace! inflame our hearts
With that pure and holy love
Which alone true joy imparts,
Flowing from Thy realms above.
Peace on earth, good will to men,
Father! we implore of Thee;
Shield us from war’s direful bane;
From its evils keep us free.

Matthias Keller
A Col­lect­ion of Po­ems, 1874

Sources

Music