Karol Rathaus (1895-1954), a prominent composer and pianist, hailed as "the hope of the new music" by German critic Walter Schrenk in the 1920s, developed his talent beyond the country's borders. Born in Tarnopol (then part of the Austrian Empire), he studied composition under the famous Franz Schreker at music schools in Vienna (1913-1915 and 1919-1920) and Berlin (1920-1923), gradually achieving greater success not only as a composer of concert music but also stage and film music. Unfortunately, the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany made it impossible for Rathaus to build a career in Europe as a Jewish citizen. Forced to leave Germany, Rathaus embarked on a difficult journey that lasted for many years (Paris 1932-1933, London 1934-1938), searching for professional opportunities, but facing restrictions everywhere due to the large influx of refugees at the same time. Like many others, he found a second home in the United States, where he felt both Polish and American. He founded the Music Department at Queens College in New York City (now Queens College, City University of New York) and taught composition there for fourteen years until his death (1940-1954).

He is one of those Poles and Europeans who made a significant contribution to the musical culture of the United States. He is the author of over 140 orchestral, chamber, and solo works, some of which remain in manuscripts and some of which were published in leading music publishers and frequently performed during his lifetime. In his European period, he became famous as the author of ballets such as Der letzte Pierrot (premiere in Berlin, Opera, 1927, conducted by Georg Szell) and Le lion amoureux (commissioned by the Ballets Russes, premiere in London, Covent Garden, 1937, conducted by Antal Doráti) and the 5-act opera Fremde Erde (Berlin, Opera, 1930, conducted by Erich Kleiber). It should be noted that he co-created the first sound films, collaborating with outstanding directors such as Fyodor Otsep (e.g. the film adaptation of The Brothers Karamazov).

In the document titled 'Jazzdämmerung?' Karol Rathaus criticized the supposed enthusiasm for jazz as a phenomenon that underwent widely understood commercialization in Europe. According to the composer, the music played under the name Jazz in Europe deviated significantly from its roots and underwent Europeanization.

The composer spoke very critically of creators such as Paul Whiteman and George Gershwin, who, in his opinion, falsified and watered down the original jazz music. On the other hand, the composer praised creators such as Bela Bartok, Igor Stravinsky, and Darius Milhaud as those who used elements referring to jazz roots in an ambitious way in their works, creating art at the highest level.

Karol Rathaus used the attributes of jazz style associated with the peak period of the Swing Era in the United States at the time, by using repetitive and rhythmic structures. The repetition of sequences in accumulating and often changing melodic-harmonic arrangements suggests the composer's fascination with the aforementioned trend in American music.

Confirmation of this thesis and evidence of a deep understanding of the musical changes taking place on the American continent are the composer's statements included in the essay entitled 'Jazzdämmerung?': 'We received a true understanding of jazz from black residents of Africa. Chocolate Kiddies, Revue Josephine Baker's, and Black People brought us to the sources of jazz. Here it achieved perfection, the reasons for which are deeply rooted. The guttural sounds of Negro singers, the melancholy of the homeland (crystallized by a simple, new Christian faith and under the influence of missionary spirit), for the first time created art whose tremendous depth became an artistic experience for us. Now that we know jazz, which in about 12 years conquered almost the entire civilized world, it is danced and sung, found its place in both folk and serious music. We have also found its essence, as we have revealed all the secrets of its instruments and can freely use them...'

The information about the composer was collected and sent by Aleksandra Hałat.