Conductor Leonard Slatkin and composer Bernard Herrmann.

Conductor Leonard Slatkin, ca. 2015.
Wikimedia Commons

Over on ClassicalMusic.com, conductor Leonard Slatkin shares fascinating memories about the orchestras of 20th Century–Fox and Warner Brothers—his father, Felix, was lead violinist in the 20th Century–Fox orchestra, and his mother, Eleanor Aller, was first chair in the cello section of the Warner Brothers orchestra. He met composer Bernard Herrmann and witnessed the recording of Herrmann's score for The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Other composers he met included Max Steiner, Dimitri Tiomkin, and Franz Waxman, and he has appreciative words for Carl Stallings, the well-known composer for Merrie Melodies of cartoon fame. He also shares his picks for memorable film scores, including John Williams' score for The Fury (1978).