Charles Rudolf Friml"Mrs. Rudolf Friml to Receive Divorce"
''The New York Times'', July 25, 1915, p. 15 (December 7, 1879 – November 12, 1972) was a Czech-born composer of operettas, musicals, songs and piano pieces, as well as a

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

. After musical training and a brief performing career in his native

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

, Friml moved to the United States, where he became a composer. His best-known works are ''

Rose-Marie ''Rose-Marie'' is an operetta-style musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. The story is set in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and concerns Rose-Marie La Flemme, a ...

'' and ''

The Vagabond King ''The Vagabond King'' is a 1925 operetta by Rudolf Friml in four acts, with a book and lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, based upon Justin Huntly McCarthy's 1901 romantic novel and play ''If I Were King''. The story is a fictionali ...

'', each of which enjoyed success on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and in London and were adapted for film.

Early life

Friml was born Rudolf Antonín Frymel on December 2, 1879 in Staré Město 445,

, Bohemia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian empire) and was baptized Catholic at the Kostel svatého Jiljí. Friml showed aptitude for music at an early age. He entered the

Prague Conservatory The Prague Conservatory or Prague Conservatoire ( cs, Pražská konzervatoř) is a music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808. Currently, Prague Conservatory offers four or six year study courses, which can be compared to the level ...

in 1895, where he studied the piano and composition with Antonín Dvořák. Friml was expelled from the conservatory in 1901 for performing without permission. In Prague and soon afterwards in America he composed and published songs, piano pieces and other music, including the prize-winning set of songs, ''Písně Závišovy''. The last of these, ''Za tichých nocí'', later became the basis for a famous film in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in 1941. After the conservatory, Friml took a position as

accompanist Accompaniment is the musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in different genres and styles of ...

to the

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

ist

Jan Kubelík Jan Kubelík (5 July 18805 December 1940) was a Czech violinist and composer. Biography He was born in Michle (now part of Prague). His father, a gardener by occupation, was an amateur violinist. He taught his two sons the violin and after d ...

. He toured with Kubelik twice in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

(1901–02 and 1904) and moved there permanently in 1906, apparently with the support of the Czech singer

Emmy Destinn Emmy Destinn ( (); 26 February 1878 – 28 January 1930) was a Czech operatic soprano with a strong and soaring lyric-dramatic voice. She had a career both in Europe and at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Biography Destinn was born Emíl ...

. His first regular post in New York was as a repetiteur at the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

, but he had made his American piano debut at Carnegie Hall. On November 17, 1904, there, he gave the premiere of his Piano Concerto in B-flat major with the

New York Symphony The New York Symphony Orchestra was founded as the New York Symphony Society in New York City by Leopold Damrosch in 1878. For many years it was a rival to the older Philharmonic Symphony Society of New York. It was supported by Andrew Carnegie, ...

, under the baton of

Walter Damrosch Walter Johannes Damrosch (January 30, 1862December 22, 1950) was a German-born American conductor and composer. He was the director of the New York Symphony Orchestra and conducted the world premiere performances of various works, including Geo ...

, in a concert that also included Friml playing his own Etude de concert, Op. 4, Smetana's "Am Seegestade",

Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

's ''Liebesträume'' No. 3, the Grieg A minor piano concerto with the orchestra, and a solo improvisation. He later settled for a brief time in Los Angeles where he married Mathilde Baruch (1909). They had two children, Charles Rudolf (Jr.) (1910) and Marie Lucille (1911). His second marriage was to Blanch Betters, an actress who had appeared in the chorus of Friml's musical '' Katinka''; his third was to actress Elsie Lawson (who played the maid in Friml's ''Glorianna'', and by whom he had a son, William); and his fourth and final marriage was to Kay Wong Ling. The first three marriages ended in divorce.

''The Firefly'' and early operettas

One of the most popular theatrical forms in the early decades of the 20th century in America was the operetta, and its most famous composer was

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

-born

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, cellist and conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is bes ...

. It was announced in 1912 that operetta diva

Emma Trentini Emma Trentini (1878-March 23, 1959) was an Italian soprano opera singer who came to the United States in December 1906. Early life She was from Mantova, Italy (Mantua). Her parents were poor and could not afford to give her money to attain an ...

would be starring in a new operetta on Broadway by Herbert with

lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's incom ...

Otto Harbach Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach (August 18, 1873 – January 24, 1963) was an American lyricist and librettist of nearly 50 musical comedies and operettas. Harbach collaborated as lyricist or librettist with many of the leading B ...

entitled '' The Firefly''. Shortly before the writing of the operetta, Trentini appeared in a special performance of Herbert's '' Naughty Marietta'' conducted by Herbert himself. When Trentini refused to sing "Italian Street Song" for the

encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers after the planned show has ended, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford University Pre ...

, an enraged Herbert stormed out of the

orchestra pit An orchestra pit is the area in a theater (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music (such as opera and ballet) or in cases when incide ...

refusing any further work with Trentini. Arthur Hammerstein, the operetta's sponsor, frantically began to search for another composer. Not finding any other theatre composer who could compose as well as Herbert, Hammerstein settled on the almost unknown Friml because of his classical training. After a month of work, Friml produced the score for what would be his first theatrical success. After tryouts in Syracuse, New York, ''The Firefly'' opened at the Lyric Theatre on December 2, 1912 to a warm reception by both the audience and the critics. The production moved to the Casino Theatre after Christmas, where it ran until March 15, 1913, for a total of 120 performances. After ''The Firefly'', Friml produced three more operettas that each had longer runs than ''The Firefly'', although they are not as enduringly successful.Cummings, Robert. ''The Firefly'', All Music Guide These were '' High Jinks'' (1913), ''Katinka'' (1915) and ''You're in Love'' (1917). He also contributed songs to a musical in 1915 entitled ''The Peasant Girl''. Trentini was named as a co-respondent in Friml's divorce from his first wife in 1915, and evidence was introduced that they were having an affair. Another show, '' Sometime'', written with

Rida Johnson Young Rida Johnson Young (February 28, 1875 – May 8, 1926) was an American playwright, songwriter and librettist.IBDBRida Johnson Young Retrieved November 21, 2007 In her career, Young wrote over thirty plays and musicals, and over 500 songs. She ...

and starring

Ed Wynn Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian. He was noted for his ''Perfect Fool'' comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a d ...

and

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

, ran well on Broadway in 1918–1919.

Success

Friml wrote his most successful operettas in the 1920s. In 1924, he wrote ''

''. This operetta, on which Friml collaborated with lyricists Oscar Hammerstein II and

and co-composer

Herbert Stothart Herbert Pope Stothart (September 11, 1885February 1, 1949) was an American songwriter, arranger, conductor, and composer. He was also nominated for twelve Academy Awards, winning Best Original Score for '' The Wizard of Oz''. Stothart was widel ...

, was a hit worldwide, and a few of the songs from it also became hits including "The Mounties" and "

Indian Love Call "Indian Love Call" (first published as "The Call") is a popular song from '' Rose-Marie'', a 1924 operetta-style Broadway musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. Or ...

". The use of murder as part of the plot was ground-breaking among operettas and musical theatre pieces at the time. After ''Rose-Marie's'' success came two other hit operettas, ''

'' in 1925, with lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, and ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight ...

'' in 1928, with lyrics by

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, ( ; 15 October 188114 February 1975) was an English author and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeve ...

and Clifford Grey, based on Alexandre Dumas's famous swashbuckling novel. In addition, Friml contributed to the ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

'' of 1921 and 1923. Friml wrote music for many films during the 1930s, often songs adapted from previous work. ''

'', ''Rose-Marie'' and ''The Firefly'' were all made into films and included at least some of Friml's music. His operetta version of ''

'' was never filmed. In 1930, he wrote a new operetta score for film, ''

The Lottery Bride ''The Lottery Bride'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Jeanette MacDonald, John Garrick, ZaSu Pitts, and Joe E. Brown. The film was produced by Joseph M. Schenck and Arthur Hammerstein, based on ...

''. Like his contemporary, Ivor Novello, Friml was sometimes ridiculed for the sentimental and insubstantial nature of his compositions and was often called trite. Friml was also criticized for the old-fashioned, Old World sentiments found in his works. Friml's last stage musical was ''Music Hath Charms'' in 1934. During the 1930s, Friml's music fell out of fashion on Broadway and in Hollywood.Program notes, ''Rose Marie'', Light Opera of New York, Landmark on the Park theatre, February 2012

Later years and legacy

Rather than trying to adapt to popular taste, Friml decided to focus on playing the piano in concert and composing art music, which he did into his nineties. He also composed the music for the 1947 film ''

Northwest Outpost ''Northwest Outpost'' (also known as ''End of the Rainbow'') is a 1947 American Musical Western film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey. The film was Eddy's last, and is an operetta film like his previous starring r ...

'', starring

Nelson Eddy Nelson Ackerman Eddy (June 29, 1901 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor and baritone singer who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclub ...

and

Ilona Massey Ilona Massey (born Ilona Hajmássy, June 16, 1910 – August 20, 1974) was a Hungarian-American film, stage and radio performer. Early life and career She was born in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary (now in Hungary). Billed as "the new Die ...

. A few of Friml's works have seen

revivals Revival most often refers to: * Resuscitation of a person *Language revival of an extinct language * Revival (sports team) of a defunct team *Revival (television) of a former television series *Revival (theatre), a new production of a previously p ...

; these include a 1943 production of ''The Vagabond King'' and a 1984 production of ''The Three Musketeers''. "The Donkey Serenade" from the film version of ''The Firefly'', "The Mounties" and "Indian Love Call" are still frequently heard, often in romantic parody or comic situations. His piano music is also often performed. In 1967, Friml performed in a special concert at the

Curran Theatre The Curran Theatre, located at 445 Geary Street between Taylor and Mason Streets in the Theatre District of San Francisco, California opened in February 1922, and was named after its first owner, Homer Curran. As of 2014, the theater is owned by ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. As he often did in his concerts, he began the concert with a piano improvisation, then played special arrangements of his own compositions as well as composers who had influenced him. He even played Dvořák's ''Humoresque'' as a special tribute to his teacher. He also appeared on

Lawrence Welk Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted the '' The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known as "champagne music" to his radio, te ...

's television program in 1971. He was one of the original inductees into the

Songwriter's Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the he ...

. His two sons also worked as musicians. Rudolf Jr. was a

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

leader in the 1930s and 1940s, and William, a son from Friml's third marriage, was a composer and arranger in Hollywood. In 1969, Friml was celebrated by

Ogden Nash Frederic Ogden Nash (August 19, 1902 – May 19, 1971) was an American poet well known for his light verse, of which he wrote over 500 pieces. With his unconventional rhyming schemes, he was declared by ''The New York Times'' the country's bes ...

on the occasion of his 90th birthday in a couplet which ended: "I trust your conclusion and mine are similar: 'Twould be a happier world if it were Frimler." Similarly, satiric songwriter

Tom Lehrer Thomas Andrew Lehrer (; born April 9, 1928) is an American former musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, and mathematician, having lectured on mathematics and musical theater. He is best known for the pithy and humorous songs that he recorded in ...

made a reference to Friml on his first album, ''

Songs by Tom Lehrer ''Songs by Tom Lehrer'' is the debut album of musical satirist Tom Lehrer, released in 1953 on his own label, Lehrer Records. In 2004 it was included into the National Recording Registry. Production and release history ''Songs by Tom Lehrer'' was ...

'' (1953). The song "The Wiener Schnitzel Waltz" includes the lyric, "Your lips were like wine (if you'll pardon the simile) / The music was lovely, and quite Rudolf Friml-y." Near the end of the 1957 musical ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...

'', Harold Hill lies to Marian Paroo: "I'm expecting a telegram from Rudy Friml, and this could be it." Friml died in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

in 1972 and was interred in the "Court of Honor" at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. On August 18, 2007, a death notice in the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...

'' reported that Kay Wong Ling Friml (born March 16, 1913), Friml's last wife, died on August 9, 2007 and would be buried with him in Forest Lawn.

Works

*''Písně Závišovy'' (1906) and other songs *'' The Firefly'' (1912) *'' High Jinks'' (1913) *''The Ballet Girl'' (1914) *'' Katinka'' (1915) *''The Peasant Girl'' (1915) - contributor. *''You're in Love'' (1917)Vocal score for ''You're in Love''
/ref> *''Kitty Darlin (1917) *'' Sometime'' (1918) *''Glorianna'' (1918) *''Sometime'' (1918) *''Tumble In'' (1919) *''The Little Whopper'' (1919) *''June Love'' (1921) *''

of 1921'' - contributor *''The Blue Kitten'' (1922) *''Bibi of the Boulevards'' (1922) *''Cinders'' (1923) *''

Dew Drop Inn Dew Drop Inn may refer to: *Dew Drop Inn (New Orleans, Louisiana) *Dew Drop Inn (Mountain View, Arkansas) *Dew Drop Inn (musical), 1923 Broadway musical {{disambiguation ...

'' (1923) - contributor *''Ziegfeld Follies of 1923'' - contributor *''

'' (1924) *''

'' (1925) *''Ziegfeld's Revue "No Foolin'"'' (1926) *''The Wild Rose'' (1926) *''White Eagle'' (1927) *''

'' (1928) *''

'' (1930 film) *''Luana'' (1930) *''Music Hath Charms'' (1934) *''

'' (1947 film)

Notes

References

*''Cambridge Guide to Theatre'', 1992. *''Ceskoslovensky hudebni slovnik'', vol. 1, 1963. *Everett, William. ''Rudolf Friml'', University of Illinois Press, 2008 *Green, Stanley. ''Broadway Musicals Show by Show, 5th Ed.'' Hal Leonard, New York. 1996. *Green, Stanley. ''The World of Musical Comedy''. Ziff-Davis, New York. 1960. * Ganzl, Kurt. ''The Encyclopedia of Musical Theatre'' (3 Volumes). New York: Schirmer Books, 2001. * Traubner, Richard. ''Operetta: A Theatrical History''. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1983. *Bordman, Gerald. ''American Operetta''. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.

External links

* * *
Friml Archive, UCLA Performing Arts Special Collections. Manuscripts, recordings, correspondence, memorabilia (in process)

* * * * ttps://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102891 Rudolf Friml recordingsat the Discography of American Historical Recordings. {{DEFAULTSORT:Friml, Rudolf 1879 births 1972 deaths 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Czech people Academics of the Prague Conservatory American classical composers American male classical composers American musical theatre composers American opera composers Austro-Hungarian emigrants to the United States Broadway composers and lyricists Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Czech classical composers Czech male classical composers Czech musical theatre composers Czech opera composers Male opera composers Musicians from Prague Prague Conservatory alumni 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians