Forgery in Musical Composition
Frederick Reece · 2025
Abstract Forgery in Musical Composition charts the history of forgery in classical music culture from the 1790s to the 1990s. Addressing the topic in depth for the first time, it exposes how and why musical counterfeits are made, casting new light on canonical composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert alongside prominent musicians like Fritz Kreisler and Glenn Gould. Drawing on a wealth of scores, primary sources, and interviews, the study explains how skillful fakers have succeeded in the past while also proposing active steps that scholars and musicians can take to better identify deceptive compositions in the future. Counterintuitively, the record shows that fake historical masterpieces have often seduced listeners not simply by imitating old works, but rather by mirroring modern cultural beliefs about innovation, identity, and meaning in music. With all this in mind, the book ultimately proposes that forged compositions have important truths to tell us about knowing and valuing works of art precisely because they are not what they appear.