The son of Alois, Georg Alois, was born Feb. 2, 1827, during his father's residence at Hanover. Music came naturally to him, but it was not till after some time that he decided to follow it. He was then at Heidelberg university, and put himself under Vollweiler to serious study of counterpoint. His first attempt was an operetta called 'Trilby,' which was performed at Frankfort in 1850, with great success. He then passed some years in various towns of Germany, and at length, in 1856, was called by Flotow to Schwerin as Court-capellmeister, where he still resides. In 1860 he visited London, and played with éclat before the Queen, and elsewhere. He is much valued through the whole of Mecklenburg, and has kept up the reputation of his family by writing a quantity of music of all classes, from a Festival Cantata (Maienzauber) downwards. Emma Brandes, now Mad. Engelmann, the eminent pianist, was his pupil. His wife, Cornelia Schmitt, née Csányi, was born in Hungary, Dec. 6, 1851. Her father took a main part in the Revolution, and was imprisoned for 10 years, but the mother, finding remarkable gifts for music in her daughters, found means to take them to Vienna for their education. There Cornelia learnt singing from Caroline Pruckner. Engagements at Pressburg and Schwerin followed, and her marriage was the result. Since then she has left the boards and taken to concert singing.
SCHNEIDER, Friedrich johann Christian, composer, teacher, and conductor, born Jan. 3, 1786, at Alt-Waltersdorf, near Zittau, composed a symphony as early as 10. In 1798 entered the Gymnasium of Zittau, and studied music with Schönfelder, and Unger. In 1804 he published 3 PF. sonatas, and having entered the University of Leipzig in 1805 carried on his musical studies to such purpose that in 1807 he became organist of St. Paul's, in 1810 director of the Seconda opera, and in 1812 organist of St. Thomas's church. There he remained till 1821, when he became Capellmeister to the Duke of Dessau, whose music he much improved, and founded in the town a Singakademie, a schoolmaster's choral society, and a Liedertafel. In 1829 he founded a musical Institute, which succeeded well, and educated several excellent musicians, Robert Franz among the number. Schneider was also an industrious composer, his works comprising oratorios—'Das Weltgericht' (1819), 'Verlorne Paradies' (1824), 'Pharao' (1828), 'Christus das Kind,' and 'Gideon' (1829), 'Getsemane und Golgotha' (1838) [App. p.785 "A fuller list of his oratorios will be found in vol. ii. p. 555a"]; 14 masses; Glorias and Te Deums; 25 cantatas; 5 hymns; 13 psalms, 7 operas; 23 symphonies; 60 sonatas; 6 concertos; 400 Lieder for men's voices, and 200 ditto for a single voice—all now forgotten except the men's part-songs. Schneider directed the musical festivals of Magdeburg (1825), Nuremberg (1828), Strasburg (1830), Halle (1830 and 35), Halberstadt (1830), Dessau (1834), Wittenberg (1835), Coethen (1838 and 46), Coblenz and Hamburg (1840), Meissen (1841), Zerbst (1844), and Lübeck (1847). He also published didactic works—'Elementarbuch der Harmonie und Tonsetzkunst' (1820), translated into English (London, (1828); 'Vorschule der Musik' (1827); and 'Handbuch des Organisten' (1829–30). The oratorio of the 'Sündfluth' was translated into English as 'The Deluge' by Professor E. Taylor, published in London and probably performed at one of the Norwich festivals.
Schneider was a doctor of music, and a member of the Berlin and several other Academies. He died Nov. 23, 1853. Some traits of his curious jealous temper will be found in Schubring's Reminiscences of Mendelssohn, in 'Daheim' for 1866, No. 26. He was vexed with Mendelssohn for his revival of Bach's Passion but the feeling passed away; and in the 'Signale' for 1866, Nos. 46, 47, 48, there are eight letters (1829–45) from Mendelssohn to him showing that they were on very good terms. When Mendelssohn's body passed through Dessau, on its way to Berlin, Schneider met it at the station, with his choir, and a lament was sung, which he had purposely composed, and which will be found in the A.M.Z. for 1847, No. 48.
SCHNEIDER, Johann Gottlob, the celebrated Dresden organist, brother of the preceding, was born at Alt-gersdorf, Oct. 28, 1789. His musical talent was manifest at the age of 5 years, when he began to learn the organ, pianoforte, violin, and some of the orchestral wind-instruments. His first master for organ was Unger, of Zittau, and in his 22nd year he was appointed organist to the University church at Leipzig. From this period he seems to have aspired to the highest rank as organ-player, and between 1816 and 1820 gave many concerts in Saxony and elsewhere, always being recognised as one of the first organists of the day. At the Elbe Musical Festival held at Magdeburg in 1825 he played so finely as to receive shortly afterwards the appointment of Court organist to the King of Saxony, a post which he held with honour and renown to his death in April 1864. Lovers of music at Dresden will remember among the most interesting and edifying of their experiences there the grand extempore preludes to the opening chorale at the principal Lutheran church, where the great organist might be heard on Sunday mornings. On those occasions that particular form of improvisation which since the time of Bach has been made a special study and feature in Germany, and which is scarcely cultivated in other countries, might be heard to the greatest advantage. The instrument, one of Silbermann's, though old-fashioned as to mechanism is of superb tone, and is well placed in a gallery.[1] As a player of Bach, Schneider was perhaps the first authority of his day, and he possessed a traditional reading of the organ works of that sublime master, with all of which he appeared to be acquainted. As a teacher, it may be recorded of him (by one who was his last pupil) that the elevation and nobility of his style, the exclusion of everything derogatory
- ↑ For an interesting chapter on Schneider and his organ, see Chorley's Mod. German Music, i. 320.
