Simon Schneider was born on December 4th 1886 in Pasing (near Munich). He had his first zither lessons at the age of 11 with Eduard Högner. The director of the Tegernseer Bauerntheater, J. Schmid, took him on at 17 as zitherplayer for tours in Germany and Austria. Later he was to give concerts in the Netherlands as well. During 1908 he followed courses in music theory and piano with Michael Schricker. From 1909 he became interested in the guitar: with his teacher Ludwig Resch he worked on the Carcassi-school, but his model was nonetheless Miguel Llobet, whom he heard in 1913 in Munich. In 1920 he moved to Hanover and worked there as guitar and zither teacher. Added to this he continued singing studies with Franz Notholt and sang tenor in choral performances. Occasionally he was heard as a soloist and chamber musician. The beginnings of inflation in 1923 made it easier for him to decide to accept an invitation to Argentina. After difficult beginnings he was able to build an existence there as teacher and singer. He gave various concerts in Buenos Aires, Bahía Blanca, Santa Fe, Córdoba und Montevideo. Having served as a tenor at the church of Espíritu Santo for seven years and as choirmaster for two, most of his compositions are influenced by church music. In 1937 he returned to Munich and gave concerts, sometimes with his daughter Gabriele. At first teaching guitar and zither at the Trapp’sche conservatoire, he obtained a position for guitar and folksong at the Didactic Academy Munich/Pasing. He died in Pasing on June 20th 1971. His compositions, arrangements and teaching-works for zither and guitar are published, amongst others, by Hofmeister (Gitarreschule, Op. 125), Bachmann and privately by himself (managed now by his daughter Gabriele). She was taught initially by her father, held a position as guitar teacher at Munich University, watches over his estate and provided the basis for this article. Interesting, that she played for some time in a quartet with Terzgitarre, two Primgitarren and Quintbassgitarre. She in turn taught her own daughter Ursula who also taught guitar at Munich University.
Völker Höh recorded a CD with compositions by Simon Schneider: In 2012 the CD „SoloDuoTrioQuartett - Deutsche Gitarrenmusik” (Naxos 8.551291) with compositions by Bruno Henze, Heinrich Albert und Simon Schneider was published.
(Rainer Stelle)