J. K. Mertz: Petra Poláčková, guitar

Featuring

Petra Poláčková
Johann Kaspar Mertz

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Composition History

J. K. Mertz won a pan-European competition for best guitar composition in Brussels, organized by Russian nobleman Nikolai Makarov, but passed away before the results were announced.

Compositional Technique

J. K. Mertz's true musical language, found in his manuscripts, is characterized by sophisticated instrumental technique utilizing the rich sound possibilities of the eight-string or multi-string instrument he played.

Composer's Artistic Vision

J. K. Mertz's published works, with the highest opus number being 100, were adapted to the public's needs, taste, and sophistication, while his manuscript works were protected to preserve their originality for his own performances.

Composer Biography

J. K. Mertz became the court guitarist of Empress Carolina Augusta after settling in Vienna with his wife Josephine in 1843.

Performer Biography

Petra Poláčková, the guitarist on this album, specializes in the Romantic guitar and its literature, and has also studied Viola da Gamba and Lute.

Instruments

The album features a 9-string romantic guitar made by Jan Tuláček in 2014, which gives Mertz's compositions a nearly symphonic range.

Composer Biography

J. K. Mertz, a guitarist and composer, was baptized as Kaspar Joseph, but only his initials J. K. were used in publications, leading to the incorrect name 'Johann Kaspar Mertz' being widely adopted.