Mertz, Johann Kaspar

1800-1856

Johann Kaspar Mertz was a Hungarian guitarist and composer of the Romantic period.

Most guitar composers of his time followed the Classical models of Mozart and Haydn (as did Sor and Aguado) or the bel canto style of Rossini (as did Guiliani).

However, Mertz was greatly influenced by the Romantic pianistic models of Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Schumann.

Mertz' most important contribution to the guitar repertoire is probably the Bardenklänge, Op. 13 (1847), a collection of character pieces in the style of Schumann.