A Night With Rudolf Friml - Frank De Vol

 

Give Me One Hour

A Night With Rudolf Frmil

Music By Frank De Vol

Cover Photo: Columbia Records Photo Studio - Henry Parker

Columbia Records CL 1630

1961

From the back cover: The lovely melodies of Rudolf Friml have decorated some of America's most successful operettas – "The Firefly," "Rose Marie," "The Vagabond King" and "The Three Musketeers" among them. This program presents twelve of Friml's most memorable songs, sung by Earl Wrightson and Lois Hunt, with the orchestra under the direction of Frank De Vol.

Rudolf Friml was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1879. As a student at the Prague Conservatory of Music, he studied under Antonin Dvorak. A brilliant pianist, Friml toured Europe and the United States with the violinist Jan Kubelik and appeared with the New York Symphony under Walter Damrosach. Soon thereafter he determined to make his home in America.

In 1912, an argument between composer Victor Herbert and singing star Emma Trentini caused Herbert to withdraw from a forthcoming musical production, "The Firefly." After a long search for a new composer, the producer decided to take a chance on the young Friml, and thus began a long and productive theatrical career.

Frimil's score for "The Firefly" – his first for the stage – included "Sympathy," and "Giannian Mia," both heard in this collection. Also heard here is "The Donkey Serenade," which was adapted from a piano composition called "Chanson" for the motion picture version of the operetta, "Marie." Of its many popular numbers, "Indian Love Call" and the title song are the best-known. The next year Friml wrote "The Vagabond King," "Give Me One Hour," and in 1928 he wrote his last great success, "The Three Musketeers," which included "Ma Belle". Another Friml melody of lasting popularity is included in this program, the charming "L'Amour, toujours, "l'amour," written in 1922.

Bariton Earl Wrightson is one of America's most popular and distinguished singers. He is famous for his many appearances on radio and television, and for his notable theatrical performance, including a long tour in "Kiss Me Kate." With Lois Hunt, Mr. Wrightson has appeared at the Hotel Pierre in New York City in an outstanding series of programs devoted to great popular composers. Miss Hunt has sung with the Metropolitan Opera Company, with the New York Philharmonic and with The Philadelphia Orchestra. She is also a favorite of radio, television and operetta audiences.

Frank De Vol, who arranged and conducted this program, is also famous as a composer and performer. He wrote the score for the movie "Pillow Talk," for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, and the score for "The Big Knife." He was nominated for an Emmy award for his work as conductor and actor on the Rosemary Clooney TV show.

Mr. De Vol began his musical career at nine, helping his father in their music library of the Canton, Ohio, Grand Opera House. He soon mastered a number of instruments, and at sixteen wrote his first score. A lengthy period of arranging for various dance orchestras followed. He then moved to Hollywood to compose and conduct for movies, radio, television and recordings. He joined Columbia Records in 1957 and moved to New York in 1959 to continue his brilliant career.

Song Of The Vagabonds

Rose Marie

Indian Love Song

L'Amour, Toujours, L'Amour

Sympathy

Give Me One Hour

The Donkey Serenade

Only A Rose

Some Day

Giannina Mia

Love Me Tonight

Ma Belle