University of Silesia in Katowice

Podcast on the work of Karol Rathaus

The fate of Karol Rathaus could have turned out completely differently. In the early 1930s, he was gaining more and more recognition as a composer whose works were performed by Stefan Askenase, Walter Giseking and Wilhelm Furtwängler. His ascent to the top was brutally cut short after the Nazis came to power. Being a Polish Jew, he had to leave Germany, and after a few years of wandering, he settled in the USA. He never again achieved the success for which he was undoubtedly predestined. And although he continued to compose, his work remained little known, partly even forgotten, for years.

In recent years, this situation has begun to change. One of the people bringing Karol Rathaus out of the shadows is Aleksandra Hałat, PhD from the Institute of Music of the Faculty of Arts and Educational Science of the University of Silesia in Cieszyn. For couple of years now she has been examining the manuscripts of his works and giving them a new life. The result of her work are, among others, two albums by the Karol Rathaus Ensemble, which she founded: Karol Rathaus: Piano Trios (2021) and Karol Rathaus: Chamber Works (2022).   Almost all of the works on them were published for the first time.

During the conversation, Aleksandra Hałat, PhD talks about the life and work of the composer, about her adventure with discovering his work, as well as about current and future projects related not only to Karol Rathaus.

Research on the works of Karol Rathaus conducted by Aleksandra Hałat, PhD is carried out as part of the “Freedom of research” competition (Research Excellence Initiative).