I was looking for a Musard waltz to complement the gallop and quadrille of his that I had previously orchestrated. I came across this one in an edition published in London in 1833. Musard had worked in London in the 1820’s and many of his works were published there.

When I started work on it, it became obvious that the main waltz themes were more or less identical to waltzes 1A and 1B of Johann Strauss’s Op. 31, variously titled Charmant Walzer, Der Verfassers übelste Laune or Der Verfassers beste Laune, that I had previously transcribed from the autograph.

I naturally assumed that Musard, a master plagiarist, had borrowed the music from the Strauss, as that had been published in 1830. However, further research turned up a reference to an earlier edition – “The Duke of Reichstadt's Waltz, as Performed by the Court & Military Bands, arranged for the Piano Forte, by P. Musard [1827] D'Almaine & Co., Soho Square : Sold by Paterson Roy & Co. 27, George Street Edinr.”. This made more sense as Musard was still in London then and the Duke of Reichstadt (Napoleon Bonapart’s son) was still alive. It seemed hardly likely that Musard in the Paris of Louis Philippe would write a waltz dedicated to a Bonapart. On the other hand, it’s more than a little strange to do it in London only 12 years after the end of the wars.

Any connection to the Duke would be tenuous anyway.

It seems that Strauss was the plagiarist this time. Although, perhaps they both were. I note the piece was “arranged for the piano by P Musard”, so perhaps he didn’t write it either.

I did find a much later edition from the 1860's by which time "The Duke of Reichstadt's Waltz" was by Strauss with no indication of which of the many Strausses wrote it. It definitely wasn't me.
I have used the Strauss orchestration as far as possible but he didn’t steal the trio so that is mine.