Eddie Duggan says:

William Barrington-Coupe, husband of “neglected” classical pianist, the late Joyce Hatto, admits to passing off the work of other musicians as the playing of his wife.

The deception was came to light after a listener played a Hatto CD in a computer. The disc was identified by the iTunes database as a 1987 recording by Laszlo Simon. Other Hatto recordings were later identified as being by other artists.

TIn a letter to BIS Records (Laszlo Simon’s record label), Barrington-Coupe admits to having inserted several “samples” of other musicians work in order to cover up the sounds of his wife’s groans of pain, caused by her cancer.

TBarrington-Coupe maintains he only inserted the pieces to help his wife–an “overlooked” performer–get the recognition he thought she deserved. However, it seems the deception runs deeper and may be whole performances rather than bridging passages, and an article in the current edition of Gramophone Magazine reveals that Barrington-Coupe continued to produce and sell counterfeit recordings after his wife’s death.

As of yet, nobody knows the full extent of the deception, and Barrington-Coupe is saying little more than “I’m tired, I’m not very well. I’ve closed the operation down”.

While the text of Barrington-Coupe’s letter has not been released by BIS Records, there is a comment on the BIS website.

Gramophone story | BBC story

Previously on Boing Boing:
• Prodigy pianist declared a fraud