Gustav Merkel
Gustav Adolf Merkel was a German organist and composer.
Having been given some lessons by Schumann in his youth, Merkel spent most of his career in Dresden, concentrating on organ-playing from 1858. A Lutheran himself, he nevertheless held an appointment at the Catholic Cathedral of Dresden from 1864 until his death. During the same period he taught the organ at Dresden's Conservatory.
His compositions include nine organ sonatas, of which the first sonata is written for two organists, and several dozen miniatures. In these works, his style is broadly conservative, very much influenced by Mendelssohn, and with similarities to the output of his younger contemporary Josef Rheinberger. He also produced choral and piano pieces; his salon piece "Schmetterling", Op. 81, No. 4 is particularly well-known.
