Johann Kaspar Mertz

Portrait of J. K. Mertz

Johann Kaspar Mertz (Hungarian: János Gáspár Mertz, August 17, 1806 - October 14, 1856) was a Hungarian guitarist and composer.

Biography

János Gáspár Mertz (Casparus Josephus Mertz) was born in Pozsony, Kingdom of Hungary, now Bratislava (Slovakia). He was active in Vienna (c.1840~1856), which had been home to various prominent figures of the guitar, including Anton Diabelli, Mauro Giuliani, Wenceslaus Matiegka and Simon Franz Molitor. A virtuoso, he established a solid reputation as a performer. He toured Moravia, Poland, and Russia, and gave performances in Berlin and Dresden. In 1856 Mertz nearly died of an overdose of strychnine that had been prescribed to him as a treatment for neuralgia. Over the following year he was nursed back to health in the presence his wife, a concert pianist, Josephine Plantin whom he married in 1842. Some speculation may lead one to the conclusion that listening to his wife performing the Romantic piano pieces of the day during his period of recovery may have had an influence on the sound and unusual right hand technique he adopted for the Bardenklange (Bardic Sounds) Op.13.

Mertz's guitar music, unlike that of most of his contemporaries, followed the pianistic models of Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Schumann, rather than the classical models of Mozart and Haydn (as did Sor and Aguado), or the bel canto style of Rossini (as did Giuliani). Though the date of his birth indicates that that was the logical influence, since Sor was born in 1778, Aguado in 1784 and Giuliani in 1781 while Mertz in 1806, a difference of about 25 years.

The Bardenklänge (1847) are probably Mertz's most important contribution to the guitar repertoire—a series of deceptively easy character pieces in the mould of Schumann.

Partial list of works

• Nachtviolen, Op. 2
• 3 Nocturnes, Op. 4
• Le Carneval de Venice (Air Varié), Op. 6
• Opern-Revue, Op. 8, Nos. 1-33
• VI Ländler, Op. 12
• Bardenklänge (Bardic Sounds), Op. 13. A series of pieces separated into 15 Hefte, the last two of which were published posthumously.

• An Malvina
• Romanze
• Abenlied
  
• Unruhe
  
• Elfenreigen
• An Die Entfernte
• Etude
  
• Capriccio
  
• Gondoliera
  
• Liebeslied
  
• Fingals-Hohle
  
• Gebeth
  
• Tarantelle
  
• Variations Mignonnes
• Kindermarchen
• Rondino
• Romanze
• Scherzo
• Sehnsucht
• Lied on Wohrte
• Mazurka
• Polonaise Favorites Nos. 1-7
• Romanze
• Walzer in Landlerstyl

• Divertissement über Motive der Oper: Der Prophet (Meyerbeer), Op. 32
• Caprice, Op. 50
• Trois Morceaux, Op. 65 Fantaisie Hongroise; Fantaisie Originale; Le Gondolier
• Portefeuille für Guitarre-Spieler including:

• Martha. Music von F. Flotow, Op. 16
• Der Prophet. Musik von G. Meyerbeer, Op. 21
• Agathe Op. 22
• Glockentone Op. 24
• Fantaisie über Motive aus der Oper: Don Juan [Mozart], Op. 28
• Das Blumlein Op. 34
• Nabucco. Musik von G. Verdi, Op. 62
• Rigoletto. Musik von G. Verdi, Op. 63
• Il Trovatore. Musik von G. Verdi, Op. 86
• L’Etoile du Nord. Opera de G. Meyerbeer, Op. 100

• Pianto dell’ Amante
• Elegie
• 6 Schubert’sche Lieder
• Concertino
• Schule für die Guitarre

• Agathe Op. 22
• Glockentone Op. 24
• Das Blumlein Op. 34

External links

• Johann Kaspar Mertz - profile Mel Bay Publications

Sheetmusic

• Boije Collection The Music Library of Sweden
• Rischel & Birket-Smith's Collection of guitar music 1 Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Denmark
• George C. Krick Collection of Guitar Music Washington University
• Free scores by Johann Kaspar Mertz at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• The Mutopia Project has compositions by Johann Kaspar Mertz