Schnabel, Joseph Ignaz

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Schnabel, Joseph Ignaz

Schnabel, Joseph Ignaz, German organist, violinist, teacher, and composer; b. Naumburg am Queiss, Silesia, May 24, 1767; d. Breslau, June 16, 1831. He settled in Breslau in 1797, where he became organist at St. Clara and a violinist at the Vincentiuskirche and in the theater orch. He was appointed Kapellmeister of the Cathedral in 1804, and from 1812 he taught at the Roman Catholic Seminary and was director of the Royal Inst. for Church Music. He wrote many sacred works, including masses, graduais, offertories, and hymns; also a Clarinet Concerto, marches for military band, vocal works, and chamber music. His brother, Michael Schnabel (b. Naumburg, Sept. 23, 1775; d. Breslau, Nov. 6, 1842), founded a piano factory in Breslau (1814); his son, Karl Schnabel (b. Breslau, Nov. 2, 1809; d. there, May 12, 1881), an excellent pianist and composer of operas and piano music, carried on the business.

Bibliography

A. Schirdewahn, Dommkapellmeister J. S. und sein Sohn August als Lehrer am Breslauer Schullehrer-Seminar (Breslau, 1935).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire