Schneider: Symphony & Overtures

Friedrich Schneider: Symphony & Overtures. During his lifetime Friedrich Schneider was regarded as “the respected head of the Northern German school” and was a musical institution in Central Germany. He was active as the court music director in Dessau from 1821 until his death, and for two reasons his fame during these years was considerable: because of his wholehearted support of Beethoven’s works and because of his own compositions – in particular his oratorios. Today his Weltgericht continues to be regarded as a link between Haydn and Mendelssohn. Schneider’s Symphony No. 16 displays majestic chords, and its movements of song character win over listening audiences with their charm and naturalness while also offering their share of surprises, mirth, and high spirits. In contrast to his symphonies, which all remained unpublished and were more frequently performed only in Dessau with the composer as their conductor, his overtures for a time enjoyed great popularity far beyond his home region. Apart from his opera preludes, Friedrich Schneider wrote a total of twenty overtures, three of which are heard here.