.Johann Dubez was born on March 8, 1828, in Neulerchenfeld near Vienna. He grew up in a highly musical family, where his siblings also pursued successful careers as professional harpists and conductors. His most influential training on the guitar began around 1840 under the tutelage of the renowned Hungarian virtuoso Johann Kaspar Mertz. Dubez was a versatile multi-instrumentalist. He started as a violinist, worked as a chamber virtuoso and harpist for Countess Jeanne Esterházy, and mastered the guitar, zither, and melophone. A central figure in Viennese musical life, he founded a string quartet and served as the first president of the Vienna Zither Union. Dubez died on October 27, 1891, in Währing, Vienna.
While Dubez left behind numerous works for the harp, his guitar compositions stand out as gems of Romantic virtuoso literature. He frequently composed for the 10-string concert guitar, which was highly popular in Vienna at the time. Key works include:
- Fantaisie sur des motifs hongrois (Fantasy on Hungarian Themes): His definitive masterpiece for the guitar, incorporating famous national themes such as the Hunyadi March and the Rákóczi March.
- Fantaisie sur ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ (Op. 2): A deeply romantic operatic fantasy based on motifs by Gaetano Donizetti.
- Schubert’s Trauerwalzer mit Variazionen: A highly technical suite of variations based on Franz Schubert’s famous mourning waltz.
- Conzert-Polonaise: A demanding concert piece written specifically to utilize the extended bass register of the 10-string guitar.
Preserving the Viennese Tradition:
Alongside his teacher J.K. Mertz, Dubez championed the Viennese school of Romantic guitar music during an era when the instrument was losing ground in major concert halls. His compositions fully exploit the dynamic and sonic capabilities of multi-string guitars. By using extended bass strings, he successfully imitated the rich textures of the harp and piano. By fusing classical virtuosity with Hungarian folk music (such as the Csárdás and patriotic marches), he played a pivotal role in embedding nationalistic color into the 19th-century guitar repertoire.
