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Five years were spent with the Cologne Opera, after which he was called to Prague by Alexander von Zemlinsky, teacher of Arnold Schonberg and Erich Korngold.

In 1927 he succeeded Zemlinsky as opera director of the German Theater at Prague.

During his tenure he also fulfilled guest engagements at the Berlin State Opera.

Two years later he became director of the Frankfurt Opera, where he remained until he lost this position in 1933 through the rise of the Hitler regime.

During these years the youthful conductor had contributed greatly to the high level of musical life in Germany.

He had presented the first German performances of Puccini's Manon Lescaut and De Falla's La Vida Breve.

The Frankfurt years were particularly noteworthy for his performance of Berg's Wozzek soon after the Berlin premiere under Erich Kleiber, and the world premiere of Schonberg's Von heute auf morgen.

At the outset of his career, Steinberg had dedicated himself to the advancement of contemporary music by vowing to do a Schonberg work every year.

In Frankfurt, too, he directed the Museum and Opera House concerts which, in addition to the standard repertoire, featured novelties like Erdmann's Piano Concerto and Mahler's Sixth Symphony.