It’s All in the Stars

12 Greatest Composers of the Zodiac

By Hermione Lai, Interlude

I must admit that I occasionally check my horoscope. Many times, I look upon my daily predictions with a playful suspension of disbelief, but occasionally, it seems to fit really well. I know as a fact that many of my classmates also consult horoscopes on a regular basis, almost like searching for a spiritual connection.

In Western astrology, everything in the cosmos and here on Earth is tightly interconnected, and the movement of the celestial bodies determines outcomes here on Earth. Sun, moon, planets and even comets are observed across a circular map called the “zodiac.” That map divides the night sky into twelve segments named after various constellations. That’s just a fancy word for “a togetherness of stars,” and they are often interpreted as images of animals.

Venice Astrological Clock

Astrology suggests that the position of celestial bodies at the time of birth can provide insight into the strengths and weaknesses, the natural inclination, and even the potential career path of individuals.

Some recent studies have shown that there is a correlation between brain function and astrological signs and that these signs can affect personalities and behaviour. We thought it might be fun to put this theory to the test by looking at the characteristics of the 12 Greatest Composers of the Zodiac.

Aries (The Ram)

Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049 

Aries, the Ram, is indeed a very powerful sign, and the Sun transits this constellation between 20 March and 21 April. This astrological sign is ruled by Mars, the planet of war and energy, and people born under the sign of Aries, are said to be energetic, unstoppable, bold, devoted and encouraging. On a bad day, however, they tend to be proud and self-centred, stubborn, reckless, jealous, bossy and impulsive.

Elias Gottlob Haussmann: Johann Sebastian Bach, 1746

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on 31 March, and he could certainly be the Aries poster child. He was always fighting with authorities, and as he once said, “they caused a life of envy and hindrance.”

As we know, Bach had anger management issues, but he also had the capacity for tenderness. He had normal flaws and failings, which made him very approachable, but he had this unfathomably brilliant mind and a capacity to hear music and then deliver music that was beyond the capacity of pretty well any musician before or since. In short, Bach was unstoppable in his determination and his work ethic; he was a true Aries.

Taurus (The Bull)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite Op. 71a 

Between 20 April and 20 May, the Great Bull of Heaven charges across the celestial sky. This powerful constellation is ruled by Venus, the planet of love, attraction, beauty, satisfaction, creativity and gratitude. Individuals born under this sign are supposedly firmly grounded and have the ability to see things from a practical and realistic perspective. Their tender nature makes them excellent cooks, gardeners, lovers, and artists.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Born on 7 May 1840, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was indeed a keen gardener who “loved our Russian nature more than any other.” He had a fantastic personal garden in Klin, and he loved flowers. I am not sure if Tchaikovsky was a good cook, but he loved to eat “kulebyaka,” a kind of pie filled with fish and rice. And when it comes to the pleasure of the flesh, he certainly had an active sex life.

Tchaikovsky was artistically supremely gifted, with his music reflecting the rollercoaster ride of the human experience. Tchaikovsky tellingly wrote, “I have found nothing to ease my troubled soul. But I would go mad were it not for music.” Tchaikovsky took the criticism to heart, and he was prone to extended bouts of guilt, depression and self-pity.

Gemini (The Twins)

Richard Wagner: “Ride of the Valkyries” 

This third astrological sign, with the sun crossing the constellation of Gemini between 21 May and 21 June, represents mythological twins. While most signs have one very prominent trait, Gemini represents two different personalities in one. They are sociable, communicative and ready for fun, with a tendency to suddenly get serious, thoughtful and restless.

Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner was born on 22 May, and he was described as “the constant union between profound reflection and ebullient spontaneity. With him, excessive thinking had not dulled his vital spark, and whatever life’s vicissitudes, he never ceased to philosophise, combining a calculating, metaphysical intellect with the joy and eternal youth of a truly creative temperament.”

Wagner was quick to anger, quick to tears, quick to laughter, and quick to frenzy. He was highly intelligent and tended to be overly analytical. Gemini apparently struggled with commitment, and Wagner left his share of bludgeoned relationships in his wake. He loved to be the life of the party, and if we can trust contemporary reports, he just couldn’t stop talking. All in all, it seems that Richard Wagner fits the characteristics of being born under the tropic of Gemini rather well.

Cancer (The Crab)

Gustav Mahler: Song of the Earth, “Farewell” 

The sun crosses the astrological sign of Cancer between 22 June and 23 July. Individuals born under that sign are supposedly nesting people who take great pleasure in the comforts of home and family. Cancers are maternal, domestic, and love to nurture others. They are happiest when their home life is serene and harmonious.

Gustav Mahler, 1892

Cancers value tradition, and they tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves. Frequently, they are more attached to the romantic ideal than to reality, and Gustav Mahler, born on 7 July, did enjoy an occasional feeling of optimism and euphoria. An astrologer wrote that if “Cancer was a nightmare, it would be one with family dynamics in it, highly psychological.”

Gustav Mahler was desperately in love with his wife Alma, and he had a couple of sessions with Sigmund Freud. He was incredibly possessive and jealous, not to mention clingy. As he wrote, “How much I love you, you my sun, I cannot tell you that with words. I can only lament to you my longing and love.” With these brief astrological predictions in mind, Mahler seems to fit the tropic of Cancer like a glove, don’t you think?

Leo (The Lion)

Claude Debussy: “Clair de Lune” 

If your birthday falls between 24 July and 23 August, you are born under the astrological sign of the Lion. As Leo season in the Northern Hemisphere starts at the height of Summer, the sun is the planetary ruler. People born under that sign radiate solar confidence and heart-felt courage.

The most famous composer born under the sign of Leo on 22 August is Claude Debussy. He had a highly complex personality, and he was not a socially outgoing or bold person. His lover Marguerite Vasnier writes: “He was very quick to take offence and extremely sensitive. The slightest thing put him in good humour or made him sullen or angry. He was very unsociable and never hid his displeasure as he did not often allow himself to be with strangers.”

Claude Debussy by Marcel Baschet, 1884

Debussy had a sullen attitude towards life and was remarkably sensitive, uncomfortable, and quick to defend. As Debussy later explained, “That’s the way I’m made.” Once we add depression, two marriages, attempted suicides, secret affairs and an incident with a revolver, we find a personality always chasing for some elusive form of contentment. Debussy was essentially an introvert who hid behind his extroversion.

Virgo (The Maiden)

Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” 

Virgo, the Goddess of innocence and purity, gives her name to the astrological sign crossed by the sun between 24 August and 23 September. People born under that sign are always looking for goodness in humankind, and predictably, disappointment is not far behind.

Dvořák in 1870

Their deep sense of humanity informs a personality that is said to be analytical, kind, hardworking and practical, but they tend to be highly critical of themselves and others. If they are disappointed once too often, they will distance themselves from other people. They would rather be out in nature than anywhere else, adoring the wilderness and nature’s creatures.

The poster child for the sign of Virgo might well be Antonín Dvořák, born on 8 September.

Nature played a major role in his life and his work. He took several nature walks each day, did a lot of gardening, planted trees, and kept pigeons. Nature was a powerful source of inspiration for Dvořák, and his “Symphony from the New World” evokes a sense of grand, unfolding vistas.

Libra (The Scales)

Franz Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 

Libra, which falls between 24 September and 23 October, is the only zodiac sign not represented by a living creature. Instead, it depicts the weighing scales of the Greek goddess of justice. Associated with balance, individuals are said to be obsessed with symmetry and strive to create equilibrium in all areas of life.

Franz Liszt in 1870

This particular astrological sign is ruled by Venus, the planet that governs love, beauty and money. Libras adore high art, intellectualism, and connoisseurship. Frequently, they surround themselves with objects and environments that reflect their exquisite tastes. Supposedly, they love harmonious partnerships with fashionable mates and also make for excellent designers, decorators, art critics, and stylists.

My personal pick for this sign is Franz Liszt. He certainly fits the art critic category, and he used his hair to good effect. During the early part of his life, he was well known for his virtuosic displays, lavish tastes and a long line of “arm candy.” However, he was loyal to his friends and generous in support of young talent. Once you take away his flashy onstage persona, Liszt was almost painfully shy and devoutly religious in later life.

Scorpio (The Scorpion)

Niccolò Paganini: Caprice No. 24 in A minor 

Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac and is said to govern the period from about 24 October to 21 November. Scorpios possess intense personalities and strong, passionate emotions. Seductive and beguiling, Scorpio is the sign most closely associated with sex. It’s not all about sensual pleasures, however, as Scorpios crave physical closeness and spiritual illumination.

My favourite Scorpio composer, Niccolò Paganini, was born in Genoa on 27 October.

Nicolo Paganini, by Richard James Lane

He was a born leader with extraordinary drive and determination. Once he made up his mind to study the violin and discover new and hitherto unsuspected effects that would astound people, nothing would stand in his way.

He became obsessed with fame and money, and his relentless ambition translated into increasingly bizarre behaviour. With Paganini, it’s rather difficult to distinguish between fact and myth, and rumours abound. One thing for sure, Paganini was always concerned about appearances and the need to project success and self-satisfaction. This particular Scorpio demanded unconditional respect and attention.

Sagittarius (The Archer)

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14, Op. 27, No. 2 “Moonlight”

Sagittarius is not an archer in the conventional way. Rather, he is actually a centaur, a creature notoriously wild, lusty, and violent when intoxicated. He rules the nightly sky between approximately 23 November and 22 December. Individuals born under this sign are curious and energetic, and their philosophical view motivates them to wander around the world in search of the meaning of life.

Joseph Willibrord Mähler: Beethoven, 1804–1905 (Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien)

Since centaurs are half-man and half-horse, one can almost sense the contradictions governing this creature’s personality. There is no better example of a Sagittarius composer than Ludwig van Beethoven, who was baptised on 17 December. Beethoven wasn’t particularly well educated, but his strength of character produced powerful effects on those around him.

Supremely idealistic and eternally in search of tranquillity and freedom, he showed utter disdain for discipline and authority. Often impatient and tactless, he thought exceedingly highly of himself in artistic matters. And while he did accord the greatest respect to other artists, he had very little use for common humanity. And let’s not forget that as a true Sagittarian, he felt the presence of God in the beauty of nature.

Capricorn (The Goat)

Alexander Scriabin: Poem of Ecstasy 

The astrological sign Capricorn, which rules the skies between 22 December and 20 January, is governed by the planet Saturn. People born under this sign are said to exhibit strong and distinctive personality traits. Among the strengths, Capricorns are ambitious, determined, hard-working and very well organized. Yet, they can be overly critical, insufferable know-it-all, sarcastic, condescending, and always expecting the worst.

Alexander Scriabin

Alexander Scriabin was squarely born under the tropic of Capricorn, and his personality seems to reflect that fact. Described as a bizarre blend of the pragmatic and the preposterous, Scriabin did have affectionate family ties and a pedantic way of organising his schedule and travels.

Scriabin suffered from hallucinations, and he was certainly narcissistic. Convinced of his personal power and self-importance, he envisaged something apocalyptic, whereby the whole of humanity would be intoxicated by his music and mesmerized by his God-like magnetism and omnipotence. I am not entirely sure that this would accurately describe the average person born under the tropic of Capricorn, but they do generally set rather high standards for themselves.

Aquarius (The Water-bearer)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Magic Flute, “Queen of the Night aria” 

The sun transits Aquarius, the water-bearer, between January 21 and February 20. It is said that Aquarius is the most humanitarian astrological sign and that people born under this sign are revolutionary thinkers who support the power of the people. Free-spirited and eccentric, it is easy to spot an Aquarius by their unusual hobbies and nonconformist attitude.

Although the Aquarius can be shy and quiet, they can also be eccentric and highly energetic. They love being around good friends and like to help others, but can be highly temperamental and uncompromising. People born under the sign of Aquarius, it seems, have very complex and nuanced personalities.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This seems certainly true of the most famous Aquarius composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, born on 27 January. Much has been written about the possibility of a personality disorder in the sense that he always needed to be nurtured and supported by others and that Mozart found it very difficult to be alone. We do know that he had violent temper outbursts, and recently, it has been suggested that Mozart might have suffered from Tourette’s syndrome. Whatever the case may be, Mozart’s music is just as nuanced and complex as his personality.

Pisces (The Fish)

Frédéric Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor, Op. Posth. 

The sun transits the constellation of Pisces between 19 February and 20 March, and as the final sign of the Zodiac, it absorbs the hopes and fears of all other signs. Individuals born under this sign have a mystical, intuitive, and transcendental dynamic.

Pisces are selfless, spiritual, and very focused on their inner journey. They are sensitive seekers who have the potential to bring a soulful, healing energy to their relationships and communities. Common wisdom suggests that Pisces are compassionate and empathetic and wired to offer spiritual and artistic gifts to the world. These are the poets, musicians, painters.

Portrait of Frédéric Chopin by Maria Wodzińska

And that brings us to Frédéric Chopin, born on 1 March. Judging by his compositions, Chopin could well be the musical poster child for this particular astrological sign. Ruled by sensitivity and emotions, this visionary fish was a kind and gentle artist who shared his experiences in music. He was easily wounded emotionally, but he was empathic and compassionate. I don’t know if, as astrologers predict, Chopin was clairvoyant, but he certainly fits the personality profile rather well.

Now you know my personal much-loved composers for every astrological sign; what are your favourites?

Mozart, A Lonely Island, A Sunrise And An Expatriate in The Philippines

I started writing a book ten years ago. I thought, being an expatriate living in the Philippines, I will be having all the time of my life. "Beethoven under Palms"... .

Meanwhile, I realized that  the book have to wait! I am there somewhere near a beautiful sunrise, on a lonely tropical island and MY classical music. Mozart is one my friends here... .

Ich begann, irgendwann vor 10 Jahren als Einwanderer auf den Philippinen ein Buch zu schreiben. Ich dachte, ich hätte die gesamte Zeit meines Lebens noch vor mir. "Beethoven unter Palmen"... .

Inzwischen ist mir klargeworden, dass mein Buch warten muss. Ich befinde mich irgendwo zwischen einem wundervollen tropischen Sonnenuntergang, einer tropischen und einsamen Insel und meiner klassischen Musik. Mozart gehört zu einem meiner Weggefährten... .

 

Can you imagine.... .? Können Sie sich das vorstellen?

From time to time I am staying on such an island while enjoying Rachmaninow's Piano Concerto No.2, Mozart's Clarinet Concertos, Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, Vaughan Williams'  "The Lark Ascending", Grieg's Piano Concerts, Elgar's "Enigma Variations" or Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 and 9.

By the way: Mozart remains the most prolific of the 104 composers in the European charts since more then 20 years. Beethoven is - of course - the next followed by Tschaikowsky and Johann Sebastian Bach.

During the last years there has been a surge in support  in English composers with the numbers of entries from Elgar up to Vaughan Williams. Howard Shore's music from the film "The Lord Of The Rings" remains as one of the rare examples in the top 20

Famous Father, Famous Son! Franz and Richard Strauss

By Georg Predota , Interlude

Famous musical sons frequently have famous musical fathers. And Richard Strauss is no exception. In his day, his father Franz was recognized as an important artistic personality. Foremost, he became a celebrated horn virtuoso, by “breathing soul into the unthankful instrument.” Even Richard Wagner, against whom the musically conservative Strauss took literally every opportunity to make his disapproval clear, recognized his unusual talent. “Old Strauss is an unbearable fellow, but when he plays the horn one can’t really mind him.” Franz Strauss became a member of the Royal Court Orchestra in Munich in 1847, and set new standards on his instruments for more than four decades. However, he also dabbled in composition, predictably centered on his favorite instrument.

Franz and Richard Strauss © Wikipedia

Franz Strauss quickly recognized his son’s musical talent and entrusted four and a half-year-old Richard to August Tombo for piano lesson. Before long Richard was able to play the tunes in a book of operatic arrangements, and successfully tackled a Mozart sonata. His older sister remembered, “Richard made swift progress. Sight-reading presented him with no problems. His teacher played with him a great deal, and there was one trick that delighted Richard. His teacher played the bass part with the left hand, the top line with his right hand and the middle part with the tip of his long pointed nose.” Richard first tried his hands at composition at the age of six, when he composed the Schneider-Polka (Tailor Polka) for piano. However, as he was not yet capable of writing music, his father wrote it down for him. 

Young Richard was described by his teacher as “a student with excellent dispositions, good deportment and well behaved; lively, enthusiastic, attentive, sometime over-eager and hasty.” By the time he was 18, Richard had composed roughly 140 compositions, including almost 60 songs and more than 40 piano works. Much of these juvenilia pay homage to the musical creed of his father, who favored the “trinity of Mozart (most of all), Haydn and Beethoven.” The first time Richard heard a Beethoven symphony he did not understand it, he remained unmoved and even said, “he didn’t care of it.” Nor did he understand Beethoven’s sonatas and quartets at that stage. “In his piano lessons he preferred Chopin, Mendelssohn and Bach.” When Richard made his pianistic debut on 20 October 1885, however, he played the Mozart C-minor Concerto with his own cadenzas, which are unfortunately lost. Echoes of Mozart and the Classical style clearly emerge in his Serenade in E-flat for Thirteen Wind Instruments, Opus 7, dedicated to his composition teacher Franz Meyer. 

Franz Strauss ©hornarama.com

At age 21, Richard Strauss took up the post of assistant conductor of the Meiningen Orchestra. Hans von Bülow, a student of Franz Liszt and champion of the music of Richard Wagner and later Johannes Brahms had appointed him. To thank von Bülow, Richard composed a work for piano and orchestra originally titled “Scherzo in D minor.” Bülow considered it a “complicated piece of nonsense and unplayable” and refused to learn it. Strauss made some changes and renamed the work “Burleske” with Eugen d’Albert premiering the work in 1890. Bülow, however, was still not convinced and wrote to Johannes Brahms “Strauss’s Burleske decidedly has some genius in it, but in other respects it is horrifying.” 

Throughout his life, Richard Strauss had the highest admiration for Hans von Bülow. “For anyone who ever heard him play Beethoven or conduct Wagner, who attended one of his piano lessons or observed him in orchestra rehearsal, he inevitably became the model of all the shining virtues of a performing artist, and his touching sympathy for me, his influence on the development of my artistic abilities, were the decisive factors in my career.”

10 Greatest Musical Hoaxes and Pranks

by Hermione Lai, Interlude

A musical hoax is sometimes described as a musical forgery or mystification. It basically refers to a work of music composed by an individual and intentionally misattributed to someone else. Most frequently, such music hoaxes are attributed to historical figures of easy recognition, but attributions to non-existing historical individuals also appear. We thought it would be great fun to listen to some of classical music’s best hoaxes.

The Kreisler Scandal

Fritz Kreisler

Let’s get started with the grandfather of all musical hoaxes, the violinist Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962). The violinist was at the vanguard of the emerging music recording industry, and he delighted audiences with performances of lost classics by famous composers. According to Kreisler, he personally discovered manuscripts of unknown compositions by Corelli, Pugnani, Vivaldi, and Couperin in a French monastery. Audiences were enchanted to hear yet another unknown masterpiece.

However, on Kreisler’s 60th birthday on 2 February 1935, the violinist unapologetically confirmed that he had been the composer all along. The music industry was outraged, but Kreisler pointed out “that it should make no difference who wrote the works as long as people enjoyed them. The name changes, the value remains.” Clearly, audiences agreed with Kreisler’s assessment as his popularity skyrocketed following the scandal. 

The David Popper Ruse

David Popper

David Popper (1843-1913) was one of the last great cellists who played without an endpin. His tone was described as “large and full of sentiment, and his execution highly finished, and his style classical.” Popper was not only a fantastic cellist, but also a highly prolific composer. He composed four cello concertos to his name and stunned audiences at the Crystal Palace in London on 1 December 1894 with the premiere of a newly discovered cello concerto by Joseph Haydn. According to Popper, during a concert in Vienna, a man handed him a few sheets of wrinkled manuscript papers, claiming that they were sketches for a cello concerto by Haydn.

Initially, so the anecdote relates, Popper was skeptical, but a few years later he judged them to be genuine themes by Haydn. He worked them into a concert form in three movements and provided the piano accompaniment and orchestration. The Popper “Haydn” concert was published in 1899, but questions started to be raised as the original sketches could not be found. As the Musical Times wrote in 1895, “Unfortunately, the evidence adduced is inconclusive, but the concerto is decidedly pleasing in character. If not written by Haydn, it is certainly thoroughly Haydnesque both in form and spirit.” You can be the judge, as the concerto was taken up by a number of eminent cellists, including the fabulous Mstislav Rostropovich. 

The Marius Casadesus Hoax

Marius Casadesus in 1957

The supposed musical discovery of the 20th century took place in 1933. The Hungarian violinist Jelly d’Aranyi stepped onto the London stage and performed a completely unknown violin concerto by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The performance caused an absolute sensation, and the score turned out to be an arrangement by the French violinist Marius Casadesus. Casadesus claimed that he had arranged the work from a manuscript by the ten-year-old Mozart, with a title page containing a dedication to “Madame Adélaïde de France,” the eldest daughter of Louis XV, and dated “Versailles May 26, 1766.”

Things got interesting in a hurry when scholars were not allowed to see the autograph score, and young Mozart had actually arrived in Versailles 2 days after the dedication. In addition, father Leopold Mozart did not include the work in the catalogue of his son’s works. Some people called it “a hoax ala Kreisler,” but the musical world really wanted to believe in a new Mozart concerto. As such, the “Adélaïde Concerto” was assigned a Köchel number, and Yehudi Menuhin made a famous recording. Only in 1977, during some heated litigation concerning royalties, did Marius Casadesus admit that he was the actual composer. 

The Henri Casadesus Viola Pranks

Henri Casadesus, c 1900

It’s easy to be dismissive of Kreisler’s and Marius Casadesus’ misattributions, but it is worth remembering that these “forgeries” appeared during a time when the avant-garde and 12-tone followers were aggressively shouting down the old musical system. The Casadesus family was one of the most prominent French artistic families, an integral part of the international classical music landscape. Music lovers almost certainly remember the pianist Robert Casadesus, who collaborated with Maurice Ravel. And Henri Gustave Casadesus (1879-1947), uncle of Robert and brother of Marius, had his own musical surprises ready.

Henri was a gifted violinist, and together with Camille Saint-Saëns, he founded the Society of Ancient Instruments in 1901. They performed on Baroque period instruments and introduced eager audiences to a number of unknown musical masterworks by famous masters. Henri “found” violin concertos by George Frideric Handel and Luigi Boccherini, and two famous viola concertos by Carl Philipp Emanuel and Johann Christian Bach. The concertos appeared in various editions and were performed and recorded by Darius Hilhaud and Felix Prohaska. It was pretty obvious from the beginning that Henri composed all those works himself, a charge he never denied. 

The Remo Giazotto Deception

Remo Giazotto/Albinoni: Adagio in G minor

The Italian musicologist and critic Remo Giazotto (1910-1998) is not necessarily a household name. He taught music history at the University of Florence and authored studies on the music history of Genoa. Contributing to a number of music dictionaries, Giazotto also authored romanticized biographies of various composers, including Vivaldi, Viotti, Stradella, and Tomaso Albinoni. By far his most famous publication, however, was a short “Adagio in G minor” that he attributed to Albinoni.

When Giazotto was working on his biography of Albinoni in a German library, he claimed to have found a fragment of an Albinoni composition. That fragment supposedly contained snippets of a melody and a supporting continuo part. Relying on the stylistic features of the Italian Baroque, Giazotto “completed” the fragment, and the Italian publisher Ricordi published the “Albinoni Adagio” in 1958. It all sounds pretty plausible up to a point, however, the mysterious Albinoni fragment was never located or examined. Initially, Giazotto stated that he had merely arranged the work, but subsequently revised his story and claimed that it was his original composition. 

The Nanny Trickery

Édouard Nanny

The French double bass player Édouard Nanny (1872-1942) was a long-time professor at the Paris Conservatory. He penned an important collection of pedagogical works and gained some international exposure as a composer during his lifetime, but he was really only popular in France. Among his most famous works are a Concerto in E minor, and a Concerto in A major attributed to the Italian double bass virtuoso Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846).

The basic story is a familiar one by now. Nanny supposedly discovered a manuscript of the concerto in the British Museum Library, however, no such manuscript could ever be found. The answer to the Nanny trickery might be located in his friendship with Stuart Sankey, an important double bass pedagogue. When Sankey needed a work for double bass that could be sold quickly Nanny agreed, and he provided his Concerto in E minor under his own name. Since Nanny was not really famous as a composer, the work did not sell and the two accomplices decided to publish another concerto by Nanny, but this time attributed to Domenico Dragonetti. The “Dragonetti” concerto became immediately popular, but as you can hear, it has stylistically very little in common with Dragonetti’s music. 

The Michel Deceit

Winfried Michel

The German recorder player, composer, and editor of music Winfried Michel has published a number of compositions under his own name. In addition, he also published numerous pieces in the style of the early 18th century under the pseudonym Giovanni Paolo Simonetti. However, his main claim to fame was the supposed discovery of six long-lost piano sonatas by Joseph Haydn in 1993. In fact, Michel managed to convince the noted Haydn scholar H. C. Robbins Landon and Paul and Eva Badura-Skoda that an important Haydn discovery was at hand.

Supposedly, the works are based on the opening bars of six lost Haydn works, found in an old thematic index. The sonatas were published in 1995 as works by Haydn, “supplemented and edited by Winfried Michel.” “Some of the finest sonatas by Haydn,” however, turned out to be a rather clever pastiche. For a commentator in the New York Times, this raised some pretty big questions. “If these pieces are good enough to be thought to be by Haydn, then aren’t they valuable on their own terms? Or is it only because of the aura of Haydn’s authorship and historical context that they become meaningful? In which case, what is our criteria for judging the immanent qualities of musical works? Why can’t works of brilliant pastiche be as good as the “real” thing, and valued as much by musical culture.

The Dushkin Con

Samuel Dushkin

The Polish-American violinist and composer Samuel Dushkin (1891-1976) initially studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, and with Leopold Auer and Fritz Kreisler. He collaborated closely with Igor Stravinsky on the Violin Concerto, and Stravinsky also composed his Duo Concertante and his Divertimento to play with Dushkin on concert tours. Dushkin also gave the premiere of the orchestral version of Ravel’s Tzigane, and William Schuman composed a dedicated violin concerto for him.

Like other violinists of his time, Dushkin published countless arrangements and transcriptions for violin and piano. As an editor and arranger, he also published a “Sicilienne for strings and clavier” by the blind Maria Theresia von Paradis, and a “Grave for violin and orchestra” by Johann Georg Benda. Most likely both works had actually been composed by Dushkin, who only took credit as the editor. The obvious motive might well have been to increase sales, and with the attribution to the lesser-known Paradis and Benda, the works certainly didn’t raise red flags as might have been the case with an attribution to Haydn or Mozart. Dushkin never admitted his authorship, so there might still be some room for discussion. 

The Goldstein Revenge

Mykailo Goldstein/Nikolay Ovsianiko-Kulikovsky: Symphony No. 21

Ukrainian-born violinist, conductor and composer Mykailo Goldstein (1917-1989) gave his first public concert performance at the age of eight, but after an injury to his left hand, he turned to teaching and composition. One of his compositions, a Fantasy on Ukrainian themes got savaged by a critic who claimed that “Jews could never understand Ukrainian culture and have no right to use it.” Apparently, Goldstein replied that Beethoven also used Ukrainian themes in his Razumovsky Quartets, to which the same critic replied “Beethoven was not a Jew.”

To prove the critic wrong, Goldstein invented the Ukrainian composer Nikolay Ovsianiko-Kulikovsky and provided him with a detailed biography. Supposedly, Kulikovsky came from an aristocratic family, and in 1809 he composed a Symphonie No. 21 in G minor, with an inscription “for the dedication of Odessa Theatre.” Goldstein announced the discovery of the manuscript, and it immediately caused a great deal of excitement in Soviet musical circles. Here, after all, was proof that the Ukraine had produced a composer comparable to Joseph Haydn. It was performed by major orchestras and conductors, and the work and fictitious composer were included in the Great Soviet Encyclopaedia. Goldstein was shocked that his hoax went undiscovered, and came forward to claim the work as his own. The initial reaction from the authorities was even more shocking, as it concluded that neither Ovsianiko-Kulikovsky nor Goldstein had written the symphony. It actually took a criminal investigation in the late 1950s to confirm Goldstein’s authorship. 

The Vavilov Mystification

Giulio Caccini/Vladimir Vavilov

Vladimir Vavilov (1925-1973) was a Russian guitarist, lutenist and composer. A student at the Rimski-Korsakov Music College in Leningrad, he was highly active as a performer, and also as a music editor of a state music publishing house. Most importantly, however, he was also an accomplished and gifted composer. Vavilov had a great sense of humour as he routinely ascribed his own works to other composers, usually masters from the Renaissance or Baroque.

Vavilov composed the “Ave Maria” around 1970, and he himself published and recorded the piece on the Melodiya label. At that point, the work was ascribed to “Anonymous.” It is generally believed that organist Mark Shakhin, one of the performers on the original Melodiya LP, first ascribed the work to early Baroque master Giulio Caccini after Vavilov’s death. In no time, the piece became a worldwide mega-hit. As to the reason for this mystification, Vavilov’s daughter Tamara explained, “My father was convinced that the self-taught works of unknown composers with the trivial name “Vavilov” would never be published. But he really wanted his music to reach the audience and he went so far as to give all the glory to medieval composers and unknown authors.”