Лютневая Музыка XVI-XVII Веков

This recording, titled 'Lute Music of the 16th and 17th Centuries' and released on the Melodiya label, was originally presented as a collection of authentic Renaissance and Baroque lute compositions. Released in the late 1960s, the album was a critical and commercial success in the Soviet Union, praised for the delicate, emotive lute performance attributed to Vladimir Vavilov, who presented the works as being written by composers like John Dowland, Francesco da Milano, and Vincenzo Galilei.

Decades after its release, it was revealed that Vavilov himself had composed the vast majority of the pieces on the record, including the famous 'Ave Maria' often misattributed to Giulio Caccini. Vavilov, a self-taught guitarist and lutenist, created these 'ancient' works as a pastiche to ensure their acceptance by Soviet authorities and audiences who were more receptive to classical masterworks than to the compositions of an unknown contemporary musician. The deception was not uncovered during his lifetime, but the album remains a respected testament to his melodic craftsmanship.