The tarantella is a quick-stepping Italian folk dance in 6/8, originating in the south of the country and traditionally associated with the legend of the tarantula bite — frenzied dancing supposedly the only cure. Mertz's version captures the dance's momentum with the expressive sweep characteristic of his best work.
Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806–1856) was an Austrian guitarist and composer whose music sits at the intersection of the guitar's classical heritage and the full expressive ambitions of the Romantic era. Where earlier guitar composers worked within modest means, Mertz absorbed the language of Chopin and Liszt and adapted it to the fingerboard — expanding the instrument's emotional and technical range in the process.
Living editions
Every MusiCurate PDF is a living edition. When we refine an engraving, correct an erratum or improve a fingering, the update is yours at no charge: your download link always delivers the current edition.
