Hollywood String Quartet
Encyclopedia
The Hollywood String Quartet was formed in 1939 by violinist and conductor Felix Slatkin
and his wife, cellist Eleanor Aller
.
The original formation of the quartet was rounded out by Joachim Chassman and Paul Robyn. They broke up in 1941 due to Slatkin's entry into the army. The quartet was restarted following World War II
in 1945 with Slatkin, Aller, Paul C. Shure (violin) and Paul Robyn (viola). In 1954, Robyn left to pursue family interests and was replaced with Alvin Dinkin.
By 1956, the group was so well-known, not only among serious music devotees but in popular music circles as well - even in Hollywood, where the serious musicians in the midst of the movie-making community were often neglected - that they were asked to participate in the recording of Frank Sinatra
's album Close to You (1957). As members of various Hollywood orchestras, the members had all worked with Sinatra before, but Close to You was a unique project, a scaled-down approach to popular music conceived by Sinatra and his conductor/arranger Nelson Riddle
, which remains among his most enduringly popular albums, and among the highlights of the quartet's history.
The quartet was awarded the 1958 Grammy Award
for Best Classical Performance - Chamber Music (Including Chamber Orchestra)
for their recording of String Quartet No. 13 (Beethoven)
The quartet disbanded in 1961, two years before Slatkin's death in 1963.
Several recordings by the Hollywood String Quartet have been reissued on CD
under the British label Testament
.
Felix Slatkin
Felix Slatkin was an American violinist and conductor.-Biography:Slatkin was born in St. Louis, Missouri to a Jewish family originally named Zlotkin from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. He began studying the violin at the age of nine with Isadore Grossman...
and his wife, cellist Eleanor Aller
Eleanor Aller
Eleanor Aller was a world-renowned cellist and founding member, with her husband, Felix Slatkin, of the Hollywood String Quartet....
.
The original formation of the quartet was rounded out by Joachim Chassman and Paul Robyn. They broke up in 1941 due to Slatkin's entry into the army. The quartet was restarted following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1945 with Slatkin, Aller, Paul C. Shure (violin) and Paul Robyn (viola). In 1954, Robyn left to pursue family interests and was replaced with Alvin Dinkin.
By 1956, the group was so well-known, not only among serious music devotees but in popular music circles as well - even in Hollywood, where the serious musicians in the midst of the movie-making community were often neglected - that they were asked to participate in the recording of Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
's album Close to You (1957). As members of various Hollywood orchestras, the members had all worked with Sinatra before, but Close to You was a unique project, a scaled-down approach to popular music conceived by Sinatra and his conductor/arranger Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
, which remains among his most enduringly popular albums, and among the highlights of the quartet's history.
The quartet was awarded the 1958 Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Classical Performance - Chamber Music (Including Chamber Orchestra)
Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance has been awarded since 1959. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1959 to 1960 the award was known as Best Classical Performance - Chamber Music ...
for their recording of String Quartet No. 13 (Beethoven)
String Quartet No. 13 (Beethoven)
The String Quartet No. 13 in B major, op. 130, by Ludwig van Beethoven was completed in November 1825. The number traditionally assigned to it is based on the order of its publication; it is actually the fourteenth quartet in order of composition. It was premiered in March 1826 by the Schuppanzigh...
The quartet disbanded in 1961, two years before Slatkin's death in 1963.
Several recordings by the Hollywood String Quartet have been reissued on CD
under the British label Testament
Testament Records (UK)
The Testament Records label, based in Great Britain, specialises in historical classical music recordings, including previously unreleased broadcast performances by Arturo Toscanini and the NBC Symphony Orchestra and Solomon...
.