Pianist Lou Teicher; Duo Set Classical Music on Its Ear

As Ferrante & Teicher took their eclectic show on the road in the 1950s, they hauled their Steinways in the back of a truck. One slept on a piano while the other drove. They played high school gymnasiums, theaters and, on at least one occasion, a boxing ring. They were billed on the marquee as "Ferrante vs. Teicher."

With the success of "The Apartment" and "Exodus," florid pop arrangements won out over Beethoven, Brahms and Rachmaninoff, as Ferrante & Teicher recorded versions of movie themes from "One-Eyed Jacks," "Lawrence of Arabia," "A Man and a Woman" and "The Godfather" as well as show tune medleys, truncated classical works and even a disco version of the Latin showstopper " Malagueña." The pianists arranged their music so artfully that it was sometimes impossible to tell who was playing which notes.

"No two pianists can recreate the Ferrante & Teicher sound," Scott W. Smith, their longtime manager, said in a telephone interview. "Many have tried, and all have failed."

Smith said their music remains in steady demand for commercials, television shows and movies, such as Will Ferrell's "Elf" (2003), which features Ferrante & Teicher's 1962 version of "Sleigh Ride."

After they retired in 1989, the musicians lived with their families in Florida -- Ferrante in Longboat Key -- but rarely performed together, except for occasional impromptu gatherings at a piano store.

Whenever they faced criticism from former classical colleagues, Mr. Teicher had a simple response: "Would you rather play for 300 people a night or for 6,000?"

Nonetheless, he continued to study the standard classical repertoire away from the stage, and he was sometimes heard playing the music of Beethoven at home.

His marriage to Elaine Teicher ended in divorce.

Survivors include his wife, Betty Teicher of Siesta Key, Fla., and Highlands; three children from his first marriage; and four grandchildren.