Franz Morelly (1809-1859) was perhaps the most serious competitor to Joseph Lanner and Johann Strauss I. He seems to have been successful in Vienna in the 1830’s but took an interesting career turn by accepting a post as General Music Director for the British East India Company in Bombay. Why? How? He returned to Vienna in 1846 at the behest of his wife who had remained behind, but then went back to Bombay in 1847 and stayed there till his death in 1859, employed by the governor.

This is my orchestration of an early work of his. It was published in 1830 so he would have been 20 or so years old when he wrote it. It stands comparison with anything being written at the time. It would be interesting to see what he was writing later in his career in India. I have read that he wrote over 250 dances, but the latest I have found so far dates from his Viennese years.