Mertke, Eduard

1833-1895

Pianist, teacher and composer; was born at Riga. He studied theory under Agthe and piano under S. von Lützau, and is said to have played before the public at the age of ten. In 1850 he played in concert in St. Petersburg and Moscow. His versatility is shown by the fact that from 1853 until 1859 he was first violinist at the Gewandhaus at Leipsic. He made a piano concert tour in 1859, then taught in Wesselung, Lucerne, Freiburg and Mannheim until 1869, when he became teacher of piano at Cologne Conservatory. He has written an opera, Lisa, oder die Sprache des Herzens; a cantata called Des Liedes Verklarung; some piano arrangements of Mendelssohn's, Weber's and Hummel's concerted pieces; and some Russian folk-songs beside editing Chopin's works.