Victor Aller
Encyclopedia
Victor Aller was an American pianist.
He had a successful career behind the scenes in the film industry, and he taught piano in Hollywood
, where his students sometimes included actors preparing to depict musicians on screen, such as Dirk Bogarde and Cornel Wilde. His present fame, however, rests primarily on his performances in acclaimed 1950s-vintage Capitol Records
recordings with the Hollywood String Quartet
, including accounts of piano quintets by Johannes Brahms
, César Franck
, and Dmitri Shostakovich
, and the Brahms piano quartets.
Aller had family and professional ties to the quartet. His sister, Eleanor Aller
, was its cellist, and her husband, Felix Slatkin
, was its first violinist. They and the other quartet members were all musicians with the Hollywood studios of the era, and Victor Aller was the orchestra manager at Warner Bros.
during the 1940s; by 1949, his hourly earnings amounted to $19.95 according to company records. Mr. Aller was married to violinist Ester Heller whom he met while both were attending Juilliard.
A Warner film in which Victor Aller had direct input was The Beast with Five Fingers
. Mr. Aller made a piano arrangement for the left hand of the Chaconne from J. S Bach
's Violin Partita in D minor, and, according to a press release, he spent 200 hours training actor Victor Francen
in proper technique. Victor Aller's hand was used when the hand plays the piano in the film. Victor sat underneath the piano, wearing black velvet on his arm, so that the hand appeared disembodied. For Song Without End
Victor provided technical instruction to Dirk Bogarde
, who played the leading role of Franz Liszt
.
Aller's musical heritage lives on with relatives in succeeding generations. His daughter is concert violinist Judith Aller
, a student of Jascha Heifetz
; his nephew, son of Felix Slatkin and Eleanor Aller, is noted American orchestra conductor Leonard Slatkin
. Leonard's brother, Frederick Zlotkin, an outstanding cellist, is the principal solo cello of the New York City Ballet, and a member of the Lyric Piano Quartet.
He had a successful career behind the scenes in the film industry, and he taught piano in Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, where his students sometimes included actors preparing to depict musicians on screen, such as Dirk Bogarde and Cornel Wilde. His present fame, however, rests primarily on his performances in acclaimed 1950s-vintage Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
recordings with the Hollywood String Quartet
Hollywood String Quartet
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...
, including accounts of piano quintets by Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
, César Franck
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
, and Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
, and the Brahms piano quartets.
Aller had family and professional ties to the quartet. His sister, Eleanor Aller
Eleanor Aller
Eleanor Aller was a world-renowned cellist and founding member, with her husband, Felix Slatkin, of the Hollywood String Quartet....
, was its cellist, and her husband, Felix Slatkin
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...
, was its first violinist. They and the other quartet members were all musicians with the Hollywood studios of the era, and Victor Aller was the orchestra manager at Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
during the 1940s; by 1949, his hourly earnings amounted to $19.95 according to company records. Mr. Aller was married to violinist Ester Heller whom he met while both were attending Juilliard.
A Warner film in which Victor Aller had direct input was The Beast with Five Fingers
The Beast with Five Fingers
The Beast with Five Fingers is a horror film directed by Robert Florey and with a screenplay by Curt Siodmak, based on a short story by W. F. Harvey first published in the New Decameron. The original music score was composed by Max Steiner...
. Mr. Aller made a piano arrangement for the left hand of the Chaconne from J. S Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's Violin Partita in D minor, and, according to a press release, he spent 200 hours training actor Victor Francen
Victor Francen
Victor Francen , born Victor Franssens, was a Belgian-born actor with a long career in French cinema and in Hollywood....
in proper technique. Victor Aller's hand was used when the hand plays the piano in the film. Victor sat underneath the piano, wearing black velvet on his arm, so that the hand appeared disembodied. For Song Without End
Song Without End
Song Without End, subtitled The Story of Franz Liszt is a biographical film romance made by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Charles Vidor, who died during the shooting of the picture and was replaced by George Cukor. It was produced by William Goetz from a screenplay by Oscar Millard,...
Victor provided technical instruction to Dirk Bogarde
Dirk Bogarde
Sir Dirk Bogarde was an English actor and novelist. Initially a matinee idol in such films as Doctor in the House and other Rank Organisation pictures, Bogarde later acted in art-house films such as Death in Venice...
, who played the leading role of Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
.
Aller's musical heritage lives on with relatives in succeeding generations. His daughter is concert violinist Judith Aller
Judith Aller
Judith Aller is an American violinist, the daughter of pianist Victor Aller. She was a student of violinist Jascha Heifetz at the University of Southern California. She was married first to a Finn, Ilkka Talvi, living in Helsinki and Pori, and later was married to author Bruce Alexander...
, a student of Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz
Jascha Heifetz was a violinist, born in Vilnius, then Russian Empire, now Lithuania. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time.- Early life :...
; his nephew, son of Felix Slatkin and Eleanor Aller, is noted American orchestra conductor Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Edward Slatkin is an American conductor and composer.-Early life and education:Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His father Felix Slatkin was the violinist, conductor and founder of the Hollywood String Quartet,...
. Leonard's brother, Frederick Zlotkin, an outstanding cellist, is the principal solo cello of the New York City Ballet, and a member of the Lyric Piano Quartet.