Anton Bruckner

2 Pieces for 8 horns: Das Hohe Lied & Träumen und Wachen

Anton Bruckner's secular works for male choir a capella lend themselves perfectly to transcriptions for horn ensembles. Das Hohe Lied (The High Song, 1876), based on a text by Heinrich von der Mattig, is a romantic-sentimental description of a beautiful alpine landscape that guides us from valley to mountain peak. Träumen und Wachen (Dreaming and being awake, 1890) is based on lyrics by Franz Grillparzer. The poem's message is: life is a dream - only in eternal sleep does the truth reveal itself to us.
In 2024, we will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner's birth. A great opportunity to pay extra attention to this composer, widely known for the magnificent horn parts in his symphonies.

In the world of horn and brass ensemble music from the 18th and 19th centuries, original high-quality ensemble repertoire appears to be scarce. Additionally, students and advanced amateurs are rarely given the opportunity to perform important Romantic symphonic works by Bruckner, Mahler etc. and Wagner's great operas in their original versions. Orchestral part studies with only the original parts, and above all, a lot of rest are not always inspiring. For this reason, throughout his extensive career as a horn pedagogue, Herman Jeurissen wrote a considerable number of arrangements. These include shorter compositions by the great masters, allowing for an accessible introduction to their style and writing.