Лютневая Музыка XVI-XVII Веков

Released by the Melodiya label in 1970, this record is a central artifact in one of the most intriguing hoaxes in classical music history. Vladimir Vavilov, a guitarist and lutenist, attributed the compositions on the album to Renaissance and Baroque composers, including Francesco da Milano and John Dowland. The work was released under the title 'Lute Music of the 16th and 17th Centuries' and was widely accepted by critics and audiences at the time as a genuine collection of rediscovered period pieces.

The album is best known for the track 'Ave Maria,' which Vavilov attributed to the 16th-century composer Giulio Caccini. Following Vavilov’s death, it was revealed that he had composed nearly all the music on the record himself. This revelation transformed the album from a standard collection of lute music into a fascinating case study on musical authorship and reception, as the 'Ave Maria' had already become a standard piece in the international vocal repertoire, frequently performed and recorded by high-profile artists under the false assumption of its antiquity.