Scott Morrison wrote:

>Rathaus's name is known to me only because he did an orchestration of
>Musorgsky's 'Boris Godunov' that was used, among other places, at the
>Metropolitan in an English-language version (with libretto translation by
>John Gutman) for some years.  He also had a brief stint as a Hollywood
>score composer in the late 1930s.  He then became chairman of the music
>department at Queens College (CUNY).

I reviewed the recording Rathaus's First Symphony and a ballet on a
London CD in ARG (July-August 1999).  I didn't like the work as much as
the original poster (John Smythe?), but it was certainly well crafted and
intriguing.  For me it was all a bit too heavy and of a similar color.  I
also wasn't that in tune with its mood, though I love this era of German
and Viennese music.  My preferences lie more in the direction of Schreker
(Rathaus' teacher), Zemlinsky, Berg, etc., however.  One of the interesting
aspects of Rathaus was that the symphony was so poorly received that he
changed his compositional style.  Thus, the later ballet on the recording
sounds different.  In my review I took great pains to describe the work,
leaving my own opinions for the end, because I suspected that a lot of
people would like the work more than I did.  I still do.  Anyone who likes
big, elaborate, dark orchestral music that approaches but (reportedly) does
not reach atonality, might give it a try.

As for the rest of Scott's message, a few comments.  Rathaus struggled to
gain recognition during the twenties and was beginning to achieve it when
he fled the Nazis.  He never regained his "promising" status after that.
He did try Hollywood for a while, but he was unsuccessful and eventually
came east and took the Queens College position.  As far as I know, he was
a long-tenured and very respected teacher.  In terms of film composing, his
peak was a score for a film of The Brothers Karamazov that he wrote while
still in Europe.  Bernard Herrmann was very impressed with it.

Not surprisingly, Rathaus never got over his frustration at coming so close
to being a successful composer.  All the more admirable that he had (again
to my knowledge) such a good reputation as a teacher.

Roger Hecht