Hollywood String Quartet

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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. As members of various Hollywood orchestras, the members had all worked with Sinatra before, but Close to You (Capitol) 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.