Schneider

Schneider, family of German musicians:

(1) Johann (Gottlob) Schneider, organist, teacher, and composer; b. Alt-Waltersdorf, Saxony, Aug. 1, 1753; d. Gersdorf, May 3, 1840. He studied music with his father, and also took law courses at the Univ. of Leipzig, becoming its church organist in 1812. He had 3 sons who became musicians:

(2) (Johann Christian) Friedrich Schneider, organist, conductor, teacher, and composer; b. Alt-Waltersdorf, Saxony, Jan. 3, 1786; d. Dessau, Nov. 23, 1853. He commenced music studies with his father, then received training from Schönfelder and Unger in Zittau. He began composing as a youth and publ. 3 piano sonatas in 1804. In 1805 he entered the Univ. of Leipzig and became its organist in 1807; was also organist at Leipzig’s Thomaskirche (from 1812) and music director of the city theater (from 1817). He brought out the extremely successful oratorio Das Weltgericht (1819), and then was called to Anhalt-Dessau as court Kapellmeister in 1821; was founder- director of a celebrated music school (1829–53). His son, Theodor Schneider (b. Dessau, May 14, 1827; d. Zittau, June 15, 1909), was a cellist and conductor; studied with his father and with Drechsler; became a cellist in the Anhalt-Dessau Court Orch. (1845); was made Kantor and choirmaster at Dessau’s Schlosskirche (1853); served as Kantor and music director of Chemnitz’s Jakobikirche (1860–96), and was also conductor of the Singakademie and of the Männergesangverein.

Works

DRAMATIC : Oratorios: Die Höllenfahrt (1810); Das Weltgericht (1819); Totenfeier (1821); Die Sündflut (1823); Das verlorene Paradies (1824); Jesu Geburt (1825); Pharao (1828); Christus das Kind (1828–29); Gideon (1829); Absalon (1831); Das befreite Jerusalem (1835); Salomonis Tempelbau (1836); Bonifazius (1837); Christus der Erloser (1838); Gethesemane und Golgotha (1838). OTHER : 14 masses, 25 cantatas, and other sacred works; 7 operas; 23 syms.; 7 piano concertos; 20 overtures; much chamber music; about 400 part-songs for Men’s Voices; about 200 lieder.

Writings

Elementarbuch der Harmonie und Tonsetzkunst (1820; Eng. tr., 1828); Vorschule der Musik (1827); Handbuch des Organisten (1829–30).

Bibliography

W. Neumann, F. S.: Eine Biographie (Kassel, 1854); F. Kempe, F. S. als Mensch und Künstler (Dessau, 1859; second ed. Berlin, 1864); A. Fast, F. S. in seinen Sinfonien und Ouvertüren (diss., Univ. of Halle, 1924); K. Hoede, F. S. und die Zerbster Liedertafel zur Hundertjahrfeier 1927 (Zerbst, 1927); H. Lomnitzer, Das musikalische Werk F. S.s (1786–1853), insbesondere die Oratorien (diss., Univ. of Marburg, 1961).

(3) Johann Schneider, organist, pedagogue, and composer; b. Alt-Gersdorf, near Zittau, Oct. 28, 1789; d. Dresden, April 13, 1864. He studied jurisprudence and organ, and in 1812 became a church organist at Görlitz, and in 1825 was appointed court organist at Dresden. He was praised by Mendelssohn as one of the finest organ virtuosos of the period; was also greatly renowned as a teacher. He composed a number of organ pieces and songs with organ obbligato.

(4) (Johann) Gottlieb Schneider, organist and composer; b. Alt-Gersdorf, near Zittau, July 19, 1797; d. Hirschberg, Aug. 4, 1856. He studied with his father and at the Univ. of Leipzig, and from 1825 was organist at Hirschberg’s Kreuzkirche. He wrote organ works and piano pieces.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire