Music: Kreisler's Hoax

Critics and fellow-fiddlers have long remarked on Fritz Kreisler's predilection for obscure composers who lived in the 17th and 18th Centuries. On his programs Kreisler has appeared as an arranger of Vivaldi, Pugnani, Couperin, Porpora and a half a dozen others just as little known. But not until last week did Fritz Kreisler admit that he himself had written all the music which he had attributed to them.

An ardent researcher badgered his publishers until Kreisler cabled his confession from Vienna. He wrote most of his so-called classical music 30 years ago when he felt the need of enlarging his repertoire and deduced that it would be "inexpedient and tactless to repeat my name endlessly on programs."

When the Kreisler hoax became known, Mischa Elman was pompously indignant. Said he: "It is indeed a surprise that one who stands so high for all that is beautiful, pure and true in art as Kreisler should have resorted to such means. . . ." Other fiddlers showed greater comradeship. Yehudi Menuhin called it "one of the most creditable things that Kreisler has ever done." Albert Spalding was not surprised. Efrem Zimbalist had known, had gladly kept the secret all along. Said he: "The violin repertory has been wonderfully enriched by these compositions, and as Kreisler did not think it advisable to say they were his when he wrote them, he had a perfect right to attribute them to any one he pleased. Any composer, living or dead, should be proud to claim them as his own."