Mertz's Tarantella is a whirlwind — a fast, spinning dance that has become one of the most exciting encores in the Romantic guitar repertoire. Short, brilliant, and relentlessly propulsive, it belongs to the Bardenklänge (Bardic Sounds), Op. 13 — the most celebrated collection in 19th-century guitar music.
The Dance
The tarantella is a family of southern Italian folk dances originating in Apulia, Campania and Sicily, taking its name from the city of Taranto. Emerging in the 15th to 17th centuries, it was historically associated with tarantism — a condition supposedly caused by a spider bite and cured only by frenzied dancing. By the 19th century it had become a favourite concert genre for composers across Europe, from Chopin and Liszt to Rossini. For the guitar, its fast 6/8 drive and A minor energy make it a perfect vehicle for displaying both technique and temperament.
The Work
The Tarantella is No. 6 of the Bardenklänge, Op. 13, published in Vienna by Tobias Haslinger in 1847 — the year after Mertz had nearly died from strychnine poisoning (possibly an overdose of a treatment). During his recovery, he listened closely to his wife Josephine Plantin play Romantic piano music, and those months profoundly shaped the pianistic grandeur of the Bardenklänge. The collection runs to fifteen volumes and is Mertz's crowning achievement for the guitar, sitting alongside his Fantaisie Hongroise as the most frequently performed of his works today.
In A minor, the Tarantella runs approximately four minutes. Its character alternates between fast, driven outer sections and a contrasting lyrical inner section — a structure that makes the most of the guitar's dynamic range. Rated at approximately ABRSM Grade 8, it rewards advanced students with clear technical and musical dividends: clean rapid passagework, dynamic shaping, dramatic strumming and a strong sense of rhythmic inevitability. The score is in the public domain and freely available online.
Performed at Siccas Guitars
Playing it
The Tarantella never stops moving — that relentless 6/8 drive is its essence. The challenge is making the inner lyrical section genuinely sing without losing momentum. Clean right-hand articulation and a strong rhythmic pulse are the foundations; the dramatic strumming moments near the climax are the payoff. Recordings by Thibault Cauvin and Vera Danilina offer excellent reference performances.
See the full Mertz guide and the companion piece Fantaisie Hongroise. Explore our classical guitar collection.
