Johann Schneider, Organ works (free edition)

Johann Schneider (1702 - 1788) was a German organist, violinist and composer. Around 1720 he became a keyboard pupil of J.S. Bach. Besides keyboard with Bach, he studied violin with Johann Gottlieb Graun. In 1729 Schneider became organist of the Nicolaikirche in Leipzig. 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".

Only a small number of his organ works survive. Most of them are contained in manuscript Mus. Ms. 30377, owned by the Staatsbibliothek Berlin. What little there is, shows great quality and makes one regret not more of Schneider's music has survived to the present day. The style of Schneider's music leans closely to the style of J.S. Bach, but shows traces of the galant style as well. Schneider had a thorough understanding of counterpoint. In his fugues and choral preludes he uses the usual tricks like diminution, stretto and inversion with ease and to great effect. Yet the music never becomes `learned', the musical flow was obviously Schneider's main concern when composing.

All the works in manuscript Mus. Ms. 30377 have been uploaded before, but I gathered them now into one edition. To bring this edition to your attention I made a new recording of the prelude in g moll. Since I first uploaded this piece the sample set of the Bader organ in Zutphen got an update. I thought it would be nice to be able to compare the sample set as it sounds now with how it sounded half a year ago (http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/music/22054).

Edition available here: http://partitura.org/index.php/johann-schneider-organ-works-mus-ms-30377/