works

Karol Rathaus

He studied composition with Franz Schreker at the Academy of Performing Arts and Music in Vienna and later at the Academy of Music in Berlin. At the same time, he studied history at the University of Vienna, obtaining his doctorate in 1922.

In 1919 he made his debut in Vienna as a pianist, playing his own Variations on a Theme of Reger, Op. 1 (1919). In 1921-32 he taught composition and music theory at the Berlin University of the Arts. In 1932-34 he taught composition in Paris, and in 1934-38 in London. In 1938 he moved to the United States, where he stayed till the end of his life. From 1940 to 1954 he was a lecturer at Queens College in New York.

He was an active member of American music organisations (including International Society for Contemporary Music, American League of Composers from Austria, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and Polish community organizations (including the Music Committee of the Institute of Culture). He was an honorary vice-president of the Jewish Music World Center.

Karol Rathaus? music for the 1930 film The Murderer Dimitri Karamazov (dir. Erich Engels, Fedor Ozep) brought him popularity and recognition and started his career as a composer of this genre of music. While still a student, he signed a ten-year contract with Universal Edition for the continuous publication of all his 1920 songs, which certainly contributed to his great success in Europe in the 1920s. 

Source: Polish Music Information Centre, Polish Composers' Union, 2020

Chamber works

  • In ancient style for clarinet and piano, 1939 Buy

  • A Shepherd's Mountain Air for oboe and piano, 1940 Buy

  • Allegro concertante for trumpet and piano, 1930 Buy

  • Confused Intermezzo. The Pole in Spain for piccolo flute, bassoon and piano, 1941 Borrow

    Details:

    in manuscript

  • Country Serenade for 4 clarinets, 1948 Borrow

  • Dedication and Allegro for violin and piano, op. 64, 1949 Borrow

  • Eine kleine Serenade for clarinet in B flat, bassoon, horn in F, trumpet in C, piano, op. 23, 1927 Borrow

    Details:

    in manuscript

  • Gallant Serenade for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon, 1948 Buy

  • Gavotte Classique for flute, oboe and bassoon, 1948 Buy

  • Invocation and Fanfare for 2 trumpets, horn and trombone, 1940

  • Mazurka for oboe and piano, 1941

  • Melody for trumpet and piano Borrow

    Details:

    in manuscript

  • Pastorale and Dance for violin and piano, op. 39, 1937 Borrow

  • Piano Quintet, 1949

  • Polichinelle. Rigoudon a Rondeau for bassoon and piano, 1939 Buy

  • Polish Polka for trumpet and piano, 1941 Borrow

    Details:

    in manuscript

  • Rapsodia notturna for violoncello and piano, op. 66, 1950 Buy

  • Sarabande for clarinet and piano, 1939 Borrow

    Details:

    in manuscript

  • Serenade for clarinet, string trio and piano, 1927

  • Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano, op. 14, 1925 Buy

  • Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano, op. 43, 1937 Borrow

  • Sonata for clarinet and piano, op. 21, 1927 Borrow

  • Song of the Autumn for clarinet and piano, 1941

  • String Quartet No. 1, op. 10, 1924

    Details:

    lost

  • String Quartet No. 3, op. 41, 1936 Borrow

  • String Quartet No. 4, op. 59, 1946 Buy

  • String Quartet No. 5, op. 72, 1954 Buy

  • Suite for violin and piano, op. 27, 1929 Borrow

  • Tower music for 2 trumpets and 3 trombones or 2 trumpets, horn and 2 trombones, published in 1960 Borrow

  • Trio Serenade for violin, violoncello and piano, op. 69 Borrow

  • Trio for violin, clarinet and piano, op. 53, 1944 Borrow

Piano works

  • Ballade. Variations on a Hurdy-Gurdy Theme, op. 40, 1936 Download

  • Five Pieces for Piano [Fünf Klavierstücke], op. 9, 1920 Borrow

  • Four Studies after Domenico Scarlatti op. 56, 1945-46 Buy

  • Kujawiak, Op. 47 No. 2 Download

    Details:

    The Kujawiak was published as part of the anthology ?Homage a Paderewski?

  • Landscape in Six Colours, 1942 Borrow

  • Oberek, Op. 47 No. 1 Borrow

  • Six Little Pieces for Piano [Sechs kleine Klavierstücke], op. 11, 1926 Download

    Details:

    Nr 1 Vorspiel auf dem Theater, nr 2 Ganz allein im Walde, nr 3 Trauermarsch auf den Tod eines Riesen, nr 4 Eine kleine Serenade, nr 5 Der Schlangenbeschwörer, nr 6 Schweine

  • Sonata No. 1, op. 2, 1920 Buy

  • Sonata No. 2, op. 8, 1928 Borrow

  • Sonata No. 3, op. 20, 1927 Buy

  • Sonata No. 4, op. 58, 1946

  • Three Mazurkas, op. 24, 1928 Borrow

  • Two Little Pieces for Piano [Zwei kleine Klavierstücke], 1921(?) Download

  • Two movements from the ballet ?The Last Pierrot? arranged for piano by the composer himself, 1927 Borrow

    Details:

    Nr 1 Valse sentimentale, nr 2 Tanz der Arbeiter

  • Variations on a Theme by Georg Böhm, 1948 Borrow

  • Variations on a Theme by Max Reger op. 1, 1919