A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Schneider, Johann
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 to the instrument, whether as regards composition or performance, his care in never overlooking an awkwardly fingered or pedalled passage, and his reverence and enthusiasm for the great music he delighted to teach, combined with other eminent qualities to place him in the foremost rank. It was his much-appreciated custom to play any composition by Bach which the pupil might ask to hear after each lesson, which in itself was a practice of priceless value as to inaccurately printed passages, tempi, and registration of those glorious works. Having given instruction to some of the first organists of the day, Schneider could relate interesting anecdotes of them and of many great composers, including Mendelssohn, who was one of his most devoted admirers. In the year 1861, the fiftieth of Schneider's artistic career and 73rd of his birth, a remarkable testimony to his powers was shewn in the presentation to him of a 'Jubel- Album fur die Orgel,' containing about thirty original pieces, all in classical form, by some of his best pupils, including Töpfer, Van Eyken, Faisst, Fink, Herzog, Merkel, E. F. Richter, Schellenberg, Liszt, A. G. ritter, Schaab, Hering, Naumann, Schurig, and Schutze (editor). The subscribers were 750, and included the names of the late king and royal family of Saxony.
Schneider's very few published works comprise an 'answer of thanks' to this collection, in the form of a fugal treatment of 'Nun danket alle Gott'; a Fantaisie and Fugue, op. 1; Do. Do. in D minor, op. 3—a masterly work; 'Twelve easy pieces for use at divine service,' op. 4, etc. etc.- ↑ For an interesting chapter on Schneider and his organ, see Chorley's Mod. German Music, i. 320.