Study, Opus 182 No 29 and Fugue, Opus 102 No 10 - G . Merkel

Merkel composed a fair number of 'educational 'pieces , such as this Study , in four parts, (SATB) in which the melody (S) is played in the pedals on a 4 foot stop whilst the left hand on manual one plays the bass (B) on a combination including a 16 foot stop. The other two parts(AT) are played by the right hand on manual 2 using 8 foot stops.
The Fugue , in A minor, is one of his many well crafted Fugues.
Gustav Adolf Merkel (November 12, 1827, Oberoderwitz, Kingdom of Saxony – October 30, 1885, Dresden) 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 Church of the Court of Saxony from 1864 until his death. During the same period he taught the organ at Dresden's Conservatory.

His compositions include nine organ sonatas (which have been recorded several times, as well as occurring quite often in organ recitals), of which the first sonata (Op.30) is written for two organists, and several dozen miniatures (some of them based on Protestant chorale melodies). 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" ("Butterfly"), Op. 81, No. 4 is particularly well-known.
Played on Hauptwerk sample set of Friesach, Austria. Thumbnail is of the composer