Georg Abraham Schneider (1770–1839)
Biography of Schneider (in German)
According to the literature, Georg Abraham Schneider composed his concertos for 3 horns between about 1800 and 1811. During this period he frequently went on concert tours with the horn players Bötticher and Marquart. Together they performed these concertos with great success. It seems likely that the works were written with these appearances in mind.
Survival of the Works
The two concertos for 3 horns in E major were kept as autograph manuscripts in the Court Library (Hofbibliothek) in Darmstadt and were destroyed in 1944. The music seemed lost for good. Fortunately, copies of these concertos made in Darmstadt in 1913/14 were found in a collection in the USA. It is only thanks to these copies that the works are accessible again today.
This makes the concertos for 3 horns a unique rarity: although a number of concertos for 3 or 4 horns have come down to us from the 18th and 19th centuries, very few have survived to the present day.
Concerto No. 2 in E major for 3 Horns and Orchestra
Like Concerto No. 1, Concerto No. 2 is in E major and dates from the same period. The three solo horns are accompanied by a classically scored orchestra that includes two additional orchestral horns.
Orchestration: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, 2 violins, viola and basso
Listen and Watch
Watch Concerto No. 2 in E major for 3 Horns on YouTube
1. Mov. - Allegro