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 Dear Ben Roth:

Friml’s *Valse Elise*, subtitled *Wistful Refelection*, doesn’t seem to
have been recorded at all, even for piano solo.  It does not appear on any
of Friml’s Schirmer albums (Set No. 3 and Set No. 5), or on his Westminster
(WST 15008, with orchestra) Supraphon (ST 50646, ditto), 10” Decca (DL
5389), or Longines Symohonette (LWS-207) issues, or on the stereo four LP
Golden Crest box (CRS 4200), which does, however, include some of his
orchestral works.



It is also lacking on the two Friml CDs (not with the composer), one of
violin and piano works and transcriptions (Koch 7662), the other of solo
piano works (Koch 7512).  Neither does it appear on the Shilkret-Friml
Victor 78s (C-9) or the Hunsberger Arabesque entry (Z 6562).



The existence of score and parts of two different orchestral arrangements
can be confirmed.  One, arranged by the film composer Hubert Bath, was
published by Keith Prowse in 1939.  The other, whose arranger and date of
publication are not clearly stated, is owned by the National Library of
Australia.


To those of us who remain devoted to “light music,” there is, alas, much
repertoire that has never been commercially recorded.

Best wishes,

Richard Markowitz