Nikolaus Simrock, horn player at the court chapel of the Elector Maximilian Franz in Bonn, founded his publishing company in 1793. Having formed close personal relationships with many composers, he published his first original edition: a set of variations on Dittersdorf's arietta "Es war einmal ein alter Mann" by his friend, Ludwig Van Beethoven.

More than two hundred years later, the Simrock Original Edition is respected worldwide for being closest to the composer's original manuscript. Apart from Beethoven and his contemporaries, the works of Brahms, Bruch, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky are well represented.

The Simrock Original Edition provides a valuable resource for the discriminating musician.