Johann Schneider, Trio “Mein Gott das Herze bring ich dir”

Johann Schneider (1702 – 1788) was a German organist, violinist and composer. He was born in Oberlauter in Coburg as son of a miller. His musical training began at age 6. The first 8 years he was taught keyboard and composition by Nicolaus Müller. After that folowed three yeaurs of study with Capellemeister Reinmann. Around 1720 he became a keyboard pupil of J.S. Bach. Besides keyboard, he studied violin with Johann Gottlieb Graun.

In 1721 Johann Schneider became court organist and chief violinist at his home town of Saalfeld. From 1726 he was employed as a violinist in the Weimar court orchestra. He joined a list of seven applicants for the organist position in the Nicolaikirche in Leipzig during the time Bach was cantor and music director of the Thomasschule. It is not known whether Bach intervened on Schneider’s behalf, but Schneider won the appointment in 1729, having defeated J. C. Vogler after the second round. He remained in this position for the rest of his career. Schneider enjoyed a reputation as a truly great organist. A contemporary wrote that his “preludes on the organ are of such good taste that in this field, except for Mr. Bach, whose pupil he has been, there is nothing better to be heard in Leipzig”.

A small number of his organ works survive. In the weeks (months) to come I’ll publish most of it. The Trio on “Mein Gott das Herze bring ich dir” is the first. The style is close to that of J.S. Bach. A peculiar detail is that the choral melody is played twice, the second time an octave lower than the first time.

The recording was done with the Hauptwerk software and the sampleset, made by Sonus Paradisi, of the Klapmeyer organ in the St. Nikolai church in Altenbruch (http://www.sonusparadisi.cz/en/organs/germany/klapmeyer-organ-altenbruch.html)

Score
Schneider, Mein Gott, das Herze bring ich dir

Performance

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