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

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

, songs and piano pieces, as well as a pianist. After musical training and a brief performing career in his native

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, 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 F ...

'' and '' The Vagabond King'', each of which enjoyed success on Broadway and in London and were adapted for film.

Early life

Friml was born Rudolf Antonín Frymel on December 2, 1879, in the

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

445,

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

(then part of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

) and was baptized

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

at the Church of Saint Giles. Friml showed aptitude for music at an early age. He entered the Prague Conservatory in 1895, where he studied the piano and composition with

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...

. 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 part (music), musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmony (music), harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in di ...

to the

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist Jan Kubelík. He toured with Kubelík twice in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

(1901–02, 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 dramatic soprano. She had a career both in Europe and at the New York Metropolitan Opera. She was one of the greatest opera singers of the 19th and 20th centuries. ...

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

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

, but he had made his American piano debut at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

. On November 17, 1904, there, he gave the premiere of his Piano Concerto in B-flat major with the New York Symphony, under the baton of

Walter Damrosch Walter Johannes Damrosch (January 30, 1862December 22, 1950) was a Prussian-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 Aa ...

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

Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most pro ...

's ''Liebesträume'' No. 3, the

Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of N ...

A minor piano concerto with the orchestra, and a solo improvisation. He later settled briefly in Los Angeles where he married Mathilde Baruch (in 1909). They had two children, Charles Rudolf Jr. (born 1910) and Marie Lucille (born 1911). His second marriage was to Blanch Betters, an actress who had appeared in the chorus of Friml's musical '' Katinka''. His third marriage was to actress Elsie Lawson (who played the maid in Friml's ''Glorianna'', and by whom he had a son, William). His fourth and final marriage was to Kay Wong Ling. The first three marriages ended in divorce.

''The Firefly'' and early operettas

In 1912, it was announced that operetta diva Emma Trentini would star in a new operetta on Broadway by veteran

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

and lyricist

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 ...

titled '' The Firefly''. Shortly before the composition 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 an encore, an enraged Herbert stormed out of the

orchestra pit An orchestra pit is an area in a theatre (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform. The orchestra plays mostly out of sight in the pit, rather than on the stage as for a concert, when providing music fo ...

refusing any further work with Trentini. Arthur Hammerstein, the upcoming operetta's sponsor, frantically began to search for another composer. Not finding another theatre composer of comparable reputation to Herbert, Hammerstein settled on the almost unknown Friml because of his classical training. After a month of work, Friml produced the score for his first theatrical success. After tryouts in Syracuse, New York, ''The Firefly'' opened at Broadway's 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 Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

in 1915, ''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 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 began his career in vaudeville in 1903 and was known for his ''Perfect Fool'' comedy character, his pioneering radio show ...

and

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

, ran successfully on Broadway in 1918–19.

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 Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...

and

and co-composer

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

, was a hit worldwide, and a few of the songs from it also became hits including "The Mounties" and " Indian Love Call". 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, '' The Vagabond King'' in 1925, with lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, and ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' in 1928, with lyrics by

P. G. Wodehouse Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse ( ; 15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975) was an English writer and one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His creations include the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Je ...

and Clifford Grey, based on

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

's famous swashbuckling

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

. In addition, Friml contributed to the ''

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' were a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934, 1936, 1943, and 1957. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Foll ...

'' of 1921 and 1923. Friml wrote music for many films during the 1930s, often songs adapted from previous work. '' The Vagabond King'', ''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 the film, '' The Lottery Bride''. Like his contemporary,

Ivor Novello Ivor Novello (born David Ivor Davies; 15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951) was a Welsh actor, dramatist, singer and composer who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born into a musical ...

, 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'', 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 nightclubs ...

and Ilona Massey. A few of Friml's works have seen revivals on Broadway; 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 b ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. 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 Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the ...

's television program in 1971. He was one of the original inductees into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. 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 and ...

leader in the 1930s and 1940s, and William, a son from Friml's third marriage, was a composer and arranger in Hollywood. William married Shelby Payne after her divorce from actor

Douglas Fowley Douglas Fowley (born Daniel Vincent Fowley, May 30, 1911 – May 21, 1998) was an American movie and television actor in more than 240 films and dozens of television programs. He is probably best remembered for his role as the frustrated m ...

. 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 poetry, light verse, of which he wrote more than 500 pieces. With his unconventional rhyme, rhyming schemes, he was declared by ''The New York T ...

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 musician, singer-songwriter, satirist, and mathematician, who later taught mathematics and musical theater. He recorded pithy and humorous, often Music and politics, political songs that ...

made a reference to Friml on his first album, '' Songs by Tom Lehrer'' (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 theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...

'', 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, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in 1972 and was interred in the "Court of Honor" at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

. 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 M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...

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

'' (1924) *'' The Vagabond King'' (1925) *''Ziegfeld's Revue "No Foolin'"'' (1926) *'' The Wild Rose'' (1926) *''White Eagle'' (1927) *''

'' (1928) *'' The Lottery Bride'' (1930 film) *''Luana'' (1930) *''Music Hath Charms'' (1934) *'' Northwest Outpost'' (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 The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Friml, Rudolf 1879 births 1972 deaths Czechoslovak classical composers 20th-century Czech people Academic staff of the Prague Conservatory American classical composers American male classical composers American musical theatre composers American male musical theatre composers American opera composers American male film score composers Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States Broadway composers and lyricists Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Czech classical composers Czech musical theatre composers Czech opera composers Czech film score composers Czech male opera composers Composers from Prague Prague Conservatory alumni 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians