Born in
Eisleben, Schneider studied musicology at the
University of Leipzig with
Hermann Kretzschmar and
Hugo Riemann and
composition with
Salomon Jadassohn. After his time as second
Kapellmeister in Halle from 1897 to 1901, he continued his studies of music history with Kretzschmar. In 1904, he moved to Berlin, where he worked from 1905 to 1915 as a "scientific assistant" at the
Alte Bibliothek. At the
Royal Music Institute of Berlin, Schneider learnt
orchestration and received the title of professor in 1913. In 1915, he accepted a professorship at the
University of Breslau; two years later he obtained his
doctorate with a dissertation on the beginnings of the
basso continuo. From 1927, he was director of the in
Breslau. In 1928, he succeeded
Arnold Schering as professor for musicology at the
Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg. After 1933, Schneider was member of the organizations
National Socialist Teachers League,
National Socialist German Lecturers League, , and the
Reichsluftschutzbund. In December 1938 he resigned from his post as Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, which he had held since 1936, "because of the consequences of the "
Rosenberg Politic". After 1945 he joined the
Free German Trade Union Federation. He taught far beyond his
Emeritus in 1950 until 1962. Furthermore he taught music history and score playing at the founded in 1947. Schneider took on the editorship of the
Bach-Jahrbuch of the
Neue Bachgesellschaft. This annual publication had been suspended during the war years and the previous editor
Arnold Schering had died. The
Jahrbuch covering the years 1940-1948 came out in 1947 as Volume 37 (published by
Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig). Schneider was co-editor of the
Archiv für Musikwissenschaft (1918–1927), the
Händel-Jahrbuch (1955–1967), the
Hallische Händel-Ausgabe (from 1955) as well as the series '''' (from 1961). He dealt almost exclusively with the history of music from the late 16th to the middle of the 18th century, in particular with
performance practice and source material. Schneider published important studies on
Johann Sebastian Bach's biography and the sources of his works and helped to rehabilitate
Georg Philipp Telemann. From 1955 to 1967 he was president of the in Halle. In 1961 he was awarded the
Handel Prize. Schneider died in
Halle at age 91. His grave is located on the in Halle. == References ==