Mertz, Caspar Joseph 08/17/1806 - 10/14/1856

Caspar Joseph Mertz(1806-1856) was born in Pressburg (now Bratislava) in August 1806. He was the fourth and last child of Joseph (a hat- and shoemaker) and Polexina Failmar. In this family of modest means the young musician, who played both the guitar and the flute, soon contributed to the family income by giving lessons.



He met the pianist Josephine Plantyn in Dresden. Chaperoned by her sister they performed in many concert tours together. They were married in Prag in December 1842 and settled the following year in Vienna.



Mertz gradually turned towards preferred guitars with supplementary bass strings. He played an 8-string Staufer and then a 10-string instrument by Scheltzer, winner of the Brussels competition for guitar construction.