The virtuoso who fooled the world by composing music under other people's names.

Music · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Fritz Kreisler was one of the most celebrated violinists of the twentieth century, known for a signature, cozy Viennese sound. Yet, he spent years passing off his own original compositions as long-lost works by masters like Vivaldi and Pugnani, only revealing the truth when critics had already praised them.

Born in Vienna in 1875, Fritz Kreisler was a child prodigy who graduated from the Paris Conservatory at age 12. Despite his early success, his path was unconventional; he briefly abandoned music to study medicine and serve in the army after being rejected by the Vienna Philharmonic. He eventually returned to the violin, achieving international acclaim through tours and a distinct, expressive style characterized by continuous vibrato and portamento.

Kreisler’s most intriguing legacy involves his musical forgeries. For years, he published pieces like 'Praeludium and Allegro' and 'Variations on a Theme by Corelli' as works by composers such as Gaetano Pugnani or Giuseppe Tartini. When he finally admitted in 1935 that he had written them himself, the revelation sparked controversy. Kreisler remained unfazed, famously arguing that because critics had already judged the music to be of high quality, the identity of the composer was irrelevant: 'The name changes, the value remains.'

Beyond his own compositions, Kreisler was a master of the standard repertoire and a collector of legendary instruments. He owned several violins by Stradivari and Guarneri, eventually donating his Giuseppe Guarneri to the Library of Congress in 1952. His influence extended into film and operetta, and his cadenzas for the Beethoven Violin Concerto remain a staple for performers today. Despite a life marked by a serious 1941 traffic accident and the challenges of two world wars, he remained a towering figure in music until his death in 1962.

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