When
he was already in his fifties, Walter Schneiderhan (Vienna, April
9, 1901- Vienna, December 21, 1978) recorded for Vox, Pantheon, and
SPA (Society of Participating Artists).
His earliest LP recordings however, were made for Don Gabor's Remington
Records Inc.
There
are many talented artists who are not successful in pursuing a solo
career and do not rise to fame, or only for a short period in their
lives. Most of the time because the personal make up of the artist
does not allow it or the circumstances are simply unfavorable.
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Walter
Schneiderhan at the beginning of his career.
Photo Reform, Karlsbad (today Karlo Vivary,
Czech Republic)
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It
is true, as a soloist Walter Schneiderhan is considered less talented
than Wolfgang Schneiderhan. But it is also true that, while he lived
in the shadow of his younger brother Wolfgang (1915-2002), he was
an excellent chamber music player but also had a repertory of solo
concertos. There are a few recordings of this Austrian musician that
do deserve attention. Among them the Remington discs, despite the
fact that these are the outcome of a limited budget, the limiting
technical aspects, and a limited recording time.
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On
March 26th, 1950, violinist Walter Schneiderhan performed with
the Niederösterreiches Tonkünstler-Orchester and conductor
Kurt Wöss, in the Musikvereinssaal in Vienna. He played
Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. Less than a year later he was
the soloist in the Brahms Concert on January 7. It is not sure
on which day the above photograph was taken.
Picture courtesy Markus Hennerfeind, researcher of the Tonkünstler
Orchester.
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Walter
Schneiderhan
formed a trio with flutist Camillo (Kamillo) Wanausek and pianist
Helen Schnabel. They recorded 'Trio for Flute, Violin and Piano'
by Carl Philip Emanuel Bach for the Society of Participating Artists
(SPA 37). Also for SPA he recorded Concertos in F and A (Tartini)
with conductor F. Charles Adler (SPA 46).
With
Gustav Swoboda (violin) and Senta Benesch (cello) he
recorded Trios Nos. 1 to 6 by Boccherini (Westminster 18050, 18051,
18052). With Gustav Swoboda (violin), Alfred Holetschek (harpsichord)
and Senta Benesch (cello) recordings were made of Sonata, Polonaise
No. 2 and Trio Sonata, all by Telemann (Westminster 18031). And for
the Boston based Unicorn label he recorded a Concerto by Michael Haydn
(UN LP 1018) with F. Charles Adler conducting. In the recording entitled
'Chamber Music' by Boccherini, he plays together with Antonio Janigro
(cello), Richard Adeney (flute), Gustav Swoboda (violin), again
for Westminster.
Schneiderhan
is soloist (together with cellist Nikolaus Hubner) in Sinfonia
Op. 18, No. 4, by Johann Christian Bach, conducted by Paul Sacher
(Philips A0642L, Columbia ML 4869).
On Vox there is the recording of Brahms's Violin Concerto with Edouard
van Remoortel and the Bamberger Symphoniker (PL 16010),
also released earlier as Pantheon. Furthermore he recorded Mozart's
Violin Concerto K 219 with conductor Ernest Matisson and Bruch's concerto
with Charles F. Adler, both with the Orchestra of the "Wiener
Konzertvereinigung". Just to mention a few.
On
the Remington label we find the Violin Concerto of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdi
with Thomas Sherman conducting (RLP-149-14), recorded
on July 22, 1950 in Vienna in the Mozartsaal of the Konzerthaus and
released in the Spring of 1951.
He
also recorded Ludwig van Beethoven's Sonata No. 2 which was issued
on R-199-95, and Sonata No. 7 on R-149-35, both with
pianist Erich Berg, also referred to as Heinrich Berg (1915-1976).
RLP-149-35 was released in September 1951 and R-199-95 in the following
year.
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It
is not clear why Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata, also played with
Erich Berg, was released on the Plymouth-Merit label and not on
Remington. |
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The
above picture is of Walter Schneiderhan in the mid nineteen fifties
when he had recorded the Bruch Violin Concerto with F.C. Adler
conducting, and the Mozart K 219 Concerto with Ernest Matisson.
In both cases with the Wiener Konzertvereinigung. These performances
were released on Tefi Schallbänder (Tefifon Schallband label).
See
RIAS Symphony Orchestra |
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Walter
Schneiderhan's name (his Christian name also spelled Walther)
can be found on many discs when playing solos in various compositions
like Schönberg's 'Pierrot lunaire' where he plays the violin
and the viola, he takes part in J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos
Nos. 1-6 (Complete) from 1954, conducted by Jascha Horenstein.
Other soloists in
this recording are Nikolaus Harnoncourt (viola da gamba) and
Paul Angerer (harpsichord). Walter Schneiederhan accompanied
Kathleen Ferrier singing 'Erbarme dich, mein Gott'. He did
the same for Dutch alto Aafje Heynis.
The
Society of Participating Artists Inc. (SPA) released a recording
of Symphony No. 3 of Gustav Mahler in July 1952, a 3 LP set. The soloists
are Hildegard Roessel-Majdan (Alto), Eduard Koerner (Post Horn), Walter
Schneiderhan (Violin), Vienna Saengerknaben, F. Charles Adler conducting
the "Vienna Orchestra" - SPA 20/21/22, later reissued in
the fall of 1955 on two discs as SPA 70/71.
He
also played the solo violin in a rare recording of Scheherazade with
Jean Fournet conducting the "Wiener Symphoniker". At right the cover
of the later release of this 1959 recording on Fontana 700 062 WGY
(stereo). The recording was issued earlier on Philips 850 204.
Walter
Schneiderhan was a professor at the Conservatory of Vienna and was
a member of the Wiener Symphoniker. He was the leader of that orchestra
from 1948 on and in that capacity he received the 'Bruckner Ring'
in 1966.
Rudolf
A. Bruil - February 12th, 2006
