Schneider Georg Abraham, *19 April 1770 Darmstadt, †19 January 1839 Berlin, German horn player, oboist and composer. He learned to play instruments with G. Mangold, director of the court orchestra in Darmstadt, and composition and music theory with J.G. Portmann, whose daughter Karolina, a singer, he later married. In 1795, Schneider moved to Rheinsberg to the court of Prince Heinrich, where he composed many orchestral and chamber works. From 1803, he was a horn player in the royal orchestra in Berlin; in 1807, he initiated a series of subscription concerts there. In 1813–16, he was the conductor of the theatre orchestra in Tallinn (then Rewel); after returning to Berlin, in 1820, he became director of the Königliche Schauspiele, and in 1825, he received the title of Kapellmeister of the King of Prussia. Until 1838, he taught at the music school at the court theatre and at the Preussische Akademie der Künste. Schneider’s instrumental works aroused interest for their virtuosic values; his Concertino of 1818 is probably the first work to contain a solo part for the newly invented valve horn.
His son Louis Schneider (1805–1878), an actor, is the author of Geschichte der Oper und des Königlichen Opernhauses in Berlin, which includes the addition Geschichte der Kurfürstlich Brandenburgischen und Königlich Preussischen Kapelle (Berlin 1852).
Literature: A. Meyer-Hanno Georg Abraham Schneider und seine Stellung im Musikleben Berlins, «Berliner Studien zur Musikwissenschaft» VII, Berlin 1965; T.G. Waidelich “Die Verschworenen” — umsonst komponiert? I. F von Castellis Libretto-Adaption der “Lysistrata”, vertont von F. Schubert und G.A. Schneider, Schubert Jahrbuch 1996.
Compositions (over 100 pieces, published mainly in Leipzig and Augsburg, no year) — including:
orchestra:
Symphony in D major Op. 9
Ouverture concertante in C major
concerts:
4 for flutes — G major Op. 12, A minor Op. 53, E minor Op. 82, F major Op. 83
for violin and alto in D major Op. 19
for alto in B-flat major Op. 20
for clarinet, Op. 84
for bassoon, Op. 85
for horn Op. 86
for oboe, Op. 87
for clarinet and bassoon, Op. 89
for basset horn, Op. 90
Sinfonia concertante for flute and oboe, Op. 88
Concertino for 3 hunting horns and valved horn, 1818
chamber:
3 quintets for flute, violin, 2 altos and cello
12 string quartets
33 flute quartets
3 trios for flute, violin and cello Op. 81
3 sonatas for violin and alto Op. 18
duos, including 48 duos for 2 flutes, 6 duos for violin and alto
scenic:
5 singspiels: Der Orakelspruch, Aucassin und Nicolette, Die Verschworenen, Der Traum, Der Werwolf
ballet and theatre music.
Editions:
Duette for 2 bassoons, 2 cello or 2 string basses, published by O. Pischkitl and K.U. Kraehnke, Leipzig, no year
3 Duos Op. 44, for violin and alto, published by U. Drüner, Munich 1972
