Forgery in Musical Composition

Forgery in Musical Composition tells the fascinating history of forgery in classical music culture from the 1790s to the 1990s. The book exposes how and why musical counterfeits are made, casting new light on canonical composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert alongside prominent twentieth-century musicians like Fritz Kreisler and Glenn Gould. Drawing on a wealth of scores, primary sources, and interviews, the study ultimately suggests that confrontations with the reality of compositional forgery can help clarify concerns about authenticity, creativity, and the self which continue to shape musical culture in the present.