QUEENS COLLEGE ONLINE DONATION
Thank you for making a donation to the “Discovering Karol Rathaus” documentary film project. This film is directed by two alumni of Queens College, brothers Daniil (B.A. in film studies, 2008) and Sergei (M.A. in piano performance, 2011) Deych, in cooperation with Aaron Copland School of Music and “exile.arte “ Center at Vienna University for Music and Performance Arts.
Karol Rathaus joined Queens College in 1940 and played a crucial role in establishing the music department at the college. Before being forced out of Germany, he was regarded as one of the most important new voices in classical music of the time. His compositions were performed by principal conductor of Berlin Philharmonic Wilhelm Furtwängler, the director of Berlin State Opera Erich Klieber, and other notable musicians. He also became a pioneer in writing music for films.
Sadly, and undeservedly, Rathaus’ music became all but forgotten soon after his untimely death in 1954. The creators of the film will explore Rathaus’ personal and professional fate within a broader context of historical, cultural, and political forces shaping the American and European musical landscape of the 1940s and 1950s. They also hope that the film will initiate the return of Karol Rathaus’ name to its rightful place in music history, and his music to the repertoire of contemporary musicians.
Details about the project can be found at film’s website www.karolrathausfilm.com; for updates on the project’s progress and related information please visit our Facebook page @karolrathausfilm or Twitter as @rathaus_film. We also invite you to watch a 5-minute-long demo/concept video at https://vimeo.com/236696828.
Funds donated to the project will be used to film interviews with former students, friends and family members of the composer, as well as musicians preparing for the February 2019 Karol Rathaus Festival. All donors will be informed on the progress of the project and mentioned in the film credits.
If you prefer to make a donation by check, please make it out to the Queens College Foundation (with the Discovering Karol Rathaus documentary listed in the memo line) and mail to Queens College, Kiely Hall 907, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367.