Prélude de Ghiselle (Neuheit Horn)

Prélude de Ghiselle (Neuheit Horn) For horn in E (F) and organ, score 8 p., horn part in E and part in F for less advanced players. The Belgian/French composer César Franck (Liège, 1822 – Paris, 1890) is best known today for his organ, vocal, chamber and orchestral compositions. His four operas, however, have almost completely disappeared from the stage. From 1888 on, he worked on his last unfinished opera Ghiselle. Very characteristic for Franck is the use of a single ‘germ-cell’ (cellule gimeratrice) for the whole composition. The thematic material reminds us somewhat of the second movement of Franck’s Symphony in D-minor (1888) with its famous horn solo; harmonically, the work is closely related to his last masterpiece, the Trois Chorals pour grand orgue (1890). 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 Wagners 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.