Rawicz and Landauer facts for kids
Rawicz and Landauer were a super popular piano duo. They played music together from 1932 to 1970. They started in Vienna, Austria, but later moved to the United Kingdom. They were famous for making new versions of classic songs for two pianos.
Marjan (or Maryan) Rawicz (1898 – 30 January 1970) was from Poland. He studied piano in Poland and Vienna. He also studied law at the University of Kraków. To earn money during holidays, he played piano at beach resorts.
Walter Landauer (4 September 1910 – 4 August 1983) was born in Vienna. He studied music at the Vienna Music Academy.
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Their Musical Journey
Rawicz and Landauer met by chance in 1930 or 1931. Walter heard Marjan whistling a tune he liked. He asked Marjan what it was and how to play it. It was a polka by Bedřich Smetana. They soon found they both loved music. That's how their piano duo began!
Early Success and Moving to the UK
By 1932, Rawicz and Landauer were on Austrian radio. In 1933, they toured all over Europe. They moved to the United Kingdom in 1935. They left Europe because of the difficult situation there. They became favorites of the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII.
During World War II, they faced a challenge. Like many people from mainland Europe, they were kept in special camps for a while. This happened even though they were not enemies. Rawicz was in Hutchinson Camp. After the war, they both became British citizens.
Concerts and Recordings
A famous singer named Richard Tauber invited them to join his tours. They had performed with him in Vienna in the 1930s. They also appeared on his radio show. They played at Tauber's Memorial Concert in 1948.
Rawicz and Landauer became very famous as a two-piano team. They were known for playing perfectly together. They could even start a song in different rooms. They would still be perfectly in time when the door opened near the end!
They changed many classic songs into duets for two pianos. They sold thousands of records. They also had regular shows on BBC radio. After the war, they toured the United States, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. They worked with the orchestra leader Mantovani many times. They also recorded The Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns.
Their Famous Music
Their duo often played pieces like Richard Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto. They also made their own versions of famous songs. These included the Waltz from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. Other popular arrangements were Khachaturian's Sabre Dance and Waltz from Masquerade. They also played Debussy's Clair de lune, Arabesque No. 1, and Golliwog's Cakewalk. They loved playing Strauss waltzes and polkas too.
After the Duo
After Marjan Rawicz passed away in 1970, Walter Landauer continued playing. He performed as a solo pianist until his own death in 1983.
Walter Landauer was also a composer. He wrote a piece called Vienna Concerto for piano and orchestra. He also wrote shorter piano songs like Gamine, Summer Rain, and Echo Waltz.
Together, Rawicz and Landauer created new songs based on other famous pieces:
- Austro-Hungary (after Liszt)
- Liszt in Rhythm (after Liszt)
- Chopinezza (after Chopin)
- Carmen Variations (after Bizet)
- Fledermaus Fantasy (after Johann Strauss II)
- Favourite Waltzes (after Baynes, Franz Lehár, Udall and Noël Coward)
In 1961, they were surprised on the TV show This Is Your Life. The host, Eamonn Andrews, surprised them at the BBC Television Theatre.
See also
- List of émigré musicians from Nazi Europe who settled in Britain
