Collection Herman Jeurissen

Georg Friedrich Handel (1685-1759) composed his "magical" opera Amadigi di Gaula in 1715. Noteworthy is Amadigi's aria from the third act of the opera of the same name "Sento la gioia, ch'in sen mi brilla" (I feel the joy, glowing in my breast). The vocal part for alto castrato is not only rhythmically and melodically very similar to the 'Alla Hornpipe' from the Water Music, but is also perfectly performable on natural horn in D. Handel certainly had the horn sound in mind when he composed, and it is even possible that the aria is based on an earlier version for solo horn.

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.