I was sent this American piano score as an example of the work of Johann Nepomuk Kral, a Viennese bandmaster of the mid to late 19th century.

The score is an American edition and says it is by John Kral on the front page and Joh. Kral on the score. Unfortunately, there are two Johann Krals: Johann Kral, b 1823 and Johann Nepomuk Kral, b 1839. Both are from Bohemia and worked in Vienna

The score was from the University of Wisconsin-Madison who catalogued it as the work of Johann Kral, b 1823.

There is no opus number on the piece. Nepomuk’s published pieces usually, but not always, have opus numbers. Also the polka is not on the only list of Nepomuk’s works that I could find, although that list is not complete.

However, I did find another Kral piece catalogued by the Berkeley Library of the University of California as by John Kral, b 1823 and that is definitely by Nepomuk.

My bet is that this is indeed by Johann Nepomuk Kral, b 1839, who was an established composer of polkas and marches, and someone has picked up the “wrong” Kral on a Google search (or it’s 20th century equivalent). Both Krals are pretty much forgotten today but Nepomuk is less forgotten than the other one.

Musically, it could be by any mid to late 19th century dance composer. It’s a polka and they can be very formulaic.

PS. Shakespeare wrote a play called King John – Kral Johann in Turkish? Sometimes I just hate the internet, or my ignorance.