THE FELIX SLATKIN WEBSITE
 

FELIX SLATKIN (1915 - 1963) was an arranger, conductor and violinist.  He was active in Hollywood during the 40's, 50's and early 60's.  During his career he won wide acclaim and respect for his innovative and inspired contributions to many recordings.

Click on image for a larger view        

In the 40's, Slatkin was the concertmaster of the 20th Century Fox studio orchestra.  He later conducted the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra and also formed the Concert Arts Orchestra, recording with both ensembles.   He was Frank Sinatra's concertmaster and conductor of choice during the Capitol years of the 50's.  Also during the 50's, Slatkin produced and conducted two outstanding albums of military music on the Capitol label.  He later recorded several albums for Liberty leading the "Fantastic Strings" at the height of the "Stereo Action" period. Like many studio musicians, he was also virtuoso performer in his own right. He recorded as a classical violinist, and he and his wife, cellist Eleanor Aller -- also a studio regular for whom John Williams wrote a prominent part in the score of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"-- founded a legendary American classical group, the Hollywood String Quartet.

Felix Slatkin and Eleanor Aller had two sons.

Leonard Slatkin is Music Director Laureate of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and Directeur Musical Honoraire of the Orchestre National de Lyon (ONL). He maintains a rigorous schedule of guest conducting throughout the world and is active as a composer, author, and educator.  He has also served as Music Director (2008) of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the National Symphony Orchestra, and is Conductor Laureate of the St.Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Frederick Zlotkin (Fred uses the original Russian spelling of the family name) is a well-known cellist, who has served as Principal Cellist for the New York City Ballet, and has also performed regularly with the New York Philharmonic and the Lyric Piano Quartet.    




"THE ART OF FELIX SLATKIN"
  13 CD Box Set on Scribendum
Includes both classical and instrumental selections!

FULL TRACK LIST
CLICK HERE for full details & ordering information
Dave Hurwitz' YouTube review of the box set

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FELIX SLATKIN'S 1961 CHRISTMAS ALBUM
"SEASON'S GREETINGS"

  NOW AVAILABLE ON CD!
CLICK HERE for full details & ordering information




LINKS:

INTERVIEW WITH FRED ZLOTKIN (with reminiscences of life in the Felix Slatkin household)

FELIX SLATKIN DISCOGRAPHY

FELIX SLATKIN AND FRANK SINATRA

"Uncle Frank: Sinatra and the Slatkins" - reminiscences by Leonard Slatkin

THE HOLLYWOOD STRING QUARTET (Felix Slatkin, violin)

FELIX SLATKIN'S WWII SERVICE (Army Air Force Bands and Orchestras (with photos, links and audio files)

BBC TV program (58:50) which focuses on Korngold's score for the film "DECEPTION" and the Cello Concerto that figures in the film.    Rare film clips and home movies of Korngold are included.    There is also substantial material on Felix Slatkin, Eleanor Slatkin and the Hollywood String Quartet.   The Cello Concerto is performed by Frederick Zlotkin with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

FELIX SLATKIN ON SPOTIFY (several complete albums are included)


PHOTOS AND SCANS:

Screen shots from Felix Slatkin songs broadcast on SiriusXM Radio "Escape" Channel: 
    Night Theme 1   Night Theme 2
    Green Leaves of Summer
    Golden Earrings
Screen shot from Felix Slatkin song broadcast on Music Choice "Easy Listening" Cable TV Channel:
    Lonesome Road   (NOTE: For songs not available on CD, Music Choice shows the album title as "Spotlight on Felix Slatkin")

"Army Fiddlers" - Taken when Felix served in the Army Air Force Tactical Command, c. 1944-5, in a musical capacity.  From left to right:  Bronislaw Caper, Felix, Marshall Sosson and Ruggiero Ricci (a battalion of fiddle players for sure!).  (Courtesy Fred Zlotkin)

With Irma Neumann - Taken on the recording stage of 20th Century Fox (year unknown).  Left to right:  Violinist Irma Neumann, flutist Louella Howard and Felix. (Courtesy Fred Zlotkin)

Felix Slatkin conducting an orchestral recording session

Felix Slatkin conducting (portrait)

1956 Capitol Records magazine ad featuring Felix Slatkin

Capitol Records ad congratulating Felix for 1958 Grammy Award

Ad congratulating all Capitol Records 1958 Grammy winners, including both Felix Slatkin and the Hollywood String Quartet        
          Closeup of Felix         Closeup of HSQ

Billboard Magazine items:

Obituary in Billboard Magazine (Feb. 23, 1963)

Billboard Magazine: "Our Winter Love" release noted (Feb. 23, 1963)


NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT FELIX SLATKIN:

1931-06-11  St. Louis Post-Dispatch
1934-01-28  St. Louis Post-Dispatch
1936-01-13  St. Louis Star and Times

1936-11-19  St. Louis Globe Democrat
1953-01-04  Pittsburgh Press (Review of Delius LP)
1953-01-25  Arizona Daily Star (Review of Delius LP)
1953-03-08  Cincinnati Enquirer (Review of Delius LP)
1956-11-18  Fort Lauderdale News
1957-06-09  Miami Herald
1958-03-09  Miami News
1959-10-12  Sacramento Bee
1962-01-28  Los Angeles Times

1963-02-10  Los Angeles Times (Obituary)
1963-02-10  Hartford Courant  (Obituary)
1963-06-01  Honolulu Star Bulletin (a tribute by Cliff Coleman)

1971-05-16  St. Louis Post-Dispatch  "The Bequest of a St. Louis Prodigy"

2012-05-03  Detroit Free Press (preview of DSO concert with Leonard conducting and Fred as cello soloist)


LEONARD SLATKIN LINKS:

FREDERICK ZLOTKIN LINKS:


Leonard Slatkin and Frederick Zlotkin performed the Korngold Cello Concerto at Kennedy Center on February 8, 2002.

"Family Matter" (by Lawrence Van Gelder, NY Times, February 6, 2002)

A special story lies behind the performance of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Cello Concerto by the National Symphony Orchestra, led by Leonard Slatkin, in its Journey to America series on Friday night at 8:30 in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center in Washington. The work was composed by Korngold (1897-1957) for the score of ''Deception'' (1946), a tale of passion, jealousy and music that starred Paul Henreid, Bette Davis and Claude Rains. On Friday the soloist will be Frederick Zlotkin, Mr. Slatkin's brother, who changed the spelling of his last name. When the music was performed for ''Deception,'' the cellist -- Heinreid on screen -- was actually Eleanor Aller Slatkin, mother of Leonard and Frederick and then the principal cellist for Warner Brothers. At the time, Leonard was 2, and she was pregnant with Frederick. One more thing: When Frederick plays the concerto on Friday night, he will be performing on the cello his mother used.

The brothers' recording of the Concerto was released on BBC Music Magazine CD Vol 12 No 2.


Other links of interest:

NY Times article about Fred and Leonard
EasyListeningHQ.com (excellent resource page - now offline)
Salli Terri - unofficial home page (Slatkin recorded with this vocalist on several occasions)
Bob Thompson (Atomic Magazine page) (Bob collaborated with Slatkin on various projects)
Space Age Pop: Leo Arnaud (collaborated with Slatkin on "CHARGE!")
Space Age Pop: String Groups (includes entry for Fantastic Strings of Felix Slatkin)
Both Sides Now Album Discographies Main Page (excellent resource for Liberty discography info)
The Hollywood String Quartet, Classical Notes, Peter Gutmann 

Felix Slatkin recordings on SoundCloud

Felix Slatkin recordings on Spotify

Find-a-Grave page for Felix Slatkin  (You can leave a memorial tribute here)
 



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