The official list of nominees for the 10th annual Ace awards (the Emmys of cable programming) includes three names on the entry for "Slatkin! A Symphony." Cited by the National Academy of Cable Programming are Kathy Corley, executive producer for St. Louisbased, Legacy Productions; Jill Petzall, producer; and Debbie Rogers, director.

The profile of Leonard Slatkin, musical and principal conductor of the St. Louis Symphony, was televised by the Arts & Entertainment channel (A&E) and is one of five nominated programs competing for an Ace award for cultural or performing arts special or series.

The competition is pretty heady.

SLATKIN GOES VIDEO
C.B. Adams, St. Louis Globe-Democrat Staff Writer

It's like playing rapid-fire word association, asking film producer Jill Petzall about her latest project, "Slatkin! A Symphony," a documentary about St. Louis Symphony music director Leonard Slatkin that premiers at 8 o'clock tonight at the St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park.

All you have to do is mention the video and Petzall is off to the races: "Hmmm. Where do you want me to start? There's so much to say, you'll probably have to tell me when to stop. I guess I should start at the beginning. I didn't know which way to go with it; should it be an independent documentary for profit, or not-for-profit? That makes a difference. I felt it was a rare and fortunate opportunity to make this documentary and to work with someone like Leonard..." Petzall says, rambling her way through the video documentary's three-year history, not because she doesn't know what to say, but rather because every detail is important to her. Even the title, with its exclamation point, reveals the lilt of her enthusiasm.

"Slatkin! A Symphony'' has generated enthusiasm since Petzall got the idea to do it almost three years ago, and even Slatkin must have sensed it, because he gave her an immediate yes to the project after reading her proposal in June 1983. But after her excitement from Slatkin's response - "Where do I sign?" -- Petzall had to settle into a more determined, serious frame of mind: being a director isn't all lights, camera, action, especially with a documentary.

The first hurdle was deciding whether or not the documentary would be made for profit because the genre typically doesn't make money. On the other hand, not-forprofit documentaries are labors of love. After consulting with Slatkin, she decided to make it not-for-profit.

"You do a not-for-profit documentary for the whole desire to do it, to make something happen," Petzall says, "Then, it becomes a piece of history. "

But a director needs money for a project, no matter how much desire is involved, and Petzall contacted Kathy Corley, president of Legacy Productions, Inc. to set up the legal aspects of the not-for-profit project. Legacy promotes and supports independently produced works by media artists in the Midwest. Through the company, Petzall secured two public matching grants, one from the Missouri Arts Council and one from the Regional Cultural and Performing Arts Development Commission. The grants have been tripled by money from private contributors and foundations, but even though the project is finished, Petzall is still seeking corporate sponsors.

"Typically, you have to make your documentary before you can seek sponsors and money to break even. The money comes in later. That's the opposite of other kinds of filmmaking. It's kind of crazy," she says.

Once that decision was made, Petzall, along with director Debbie Rogers, volunteer associate producer Sharon Price and assistant producer Sharon Posner, had to find a way to make a documentary that was not only informative, but interesting, "Documentaries get a bad rap because they usually have a low budget and production values aren't as high. They're also considered dry, " she says.

The approach they took was to divide the hourlong documentary into four movements, like a symphony. The first movement, allegro-vivace, focuses on why a conductor is needed and also on Slatkin's wry personality. The second, adagio, gives Slatkin's background and his duties as a conductor. The third movement, scherzo, details the music process during rehearsals and shows other aspects of Slatkin's life. Maestoso, the fourth movement, is dynamic musically, and reveals the ways in which Slatkin has arrived at the role of conductor. The unique voice of author Stanley Elkin narrates the documentary, and there are appearances by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Emanuel Ax, St. Louis Symphony principal clarinetist George Silfies and the late Jack Carney.

One of the highlights comes during the third movement, when Slatkin is directing the Youth Orchestra. "In some ways, Slatkin is more clear in layman's terms with kids. It's very revealing for everyone of what takes place in rehearsals," Petzall says.

More than 26 hours of tape were recorded for the documentary, and Petzall did the rough cut and basic story editing before turning it over to Wally Bonham of Innervision Productions for the final editing. Innervision is a commercial production company, and provided at least $10,000 of free inhouse services during the making of the documentary.

Now that "Slatkin! A Symphony" is complete, Petzall is looking for places to air the documentary. She hopes to interest the Public Broadcast System or the Arts and Entertainment Systems, a cable company. In addition, Petzall is developing educational markets such as school systems and libraries to expand the documentary's audience.

"I really want this documentary to act as an ambassador for St. Louis and the symphony wherever it is shown, and that includes the production community here, too."

When "Slatkin! A Symphony" premieres tonight, Petzall will be eager to see the audience's reaction. But more importantly, she will be watching the face of Slatkin to see his reaction because he has not seen it. His recent recording schedule has not allowed him the time to view it in private. Petzall isn't worried, however, because "he has never once questioned what I'm doing or how I'm going about doing it. "

SLATKIN AS SEEN FROM THE ORCHESTRA
Patricia Rice, Post-Dispatch Staff

Powell Hall regulars see plenty of Leonard Slatkin's back; he speaks to them only when he is introducing a new piece of music.

What makes him tick? How does he keep more than 100 musicians together for a two-hour concert? Video producer Jill Petzall wanted to get his answers on tape and share them with millions of Americans on television.

"Even people who don't know anything about music should be interested," she said. The video, "Slatkin! A Symphony," which took her and her team two years to make, will have its public premiere today at the St. Louis Art Museum. Tickets at $6 each are available to the public.

"It's not about his personal life, but his music-making," Petzall said. "He is interesting verbally, energetic, ambitious and clearly on his way toward something special. An American-born conductor who was trained exclusively in this country! And he has a wonderful desire to communicate his music to others."

Slatkin is a baseball nut who has announced scores on stage at Powell Hall. He can talk to students about all kinds of music because he listens to it all. For three years, when he was in his 20s, he was host of a live Thursday afternoon broadcast from the old, "underground" KDNA-FM station in Gaslight Square.

Two years ago, when Petzall began talking about her idea of making a documentary on Slatkin, she found nearly everyone she asked was eager to help her.

"Jill had a wonderful talent for rounding up people to commit themselves to the work, to give of themselves," said Sharon Price, the documentary's associate producer, who put in six or seven hours a week on the project for two years, most of it on a volunteer basis.

Petzall listed those she wanted to tape and started asking them for appointments. Concert pianist Emanuel Ax and cellist Yo-Yo Ma agreed to talk about their friend. The late KMOX radio personality Jack Carney let her crew tape what became his last interview with Slatkin. The Symphony's principal players talked frankly, but with affection, about the Lenny they knew when he was an assistant conductor, the protege of Walter Susskind. And they talked about what happened after he became their music director and asked them to call him Leonard.

The maestro's mother, cellist Eleanor Aller Slatkin, lent Petzall blurred childhood photographs of Leonard and his younger brother, Frederick. New York's Juilliard School of Music initially refused to let Petzall see anything in its library. But she persuaded school officials to search photo files until librarians found the only Slatkin relic: a bit of his head in cap and gown in a graduation group shot.

Petzall loves the "laid-back," raspy, sincere quality of novelist Stanley Elkin's voice, and Elkin agreed to read her documentary introduction.

No one was more patient with her, she said, than Leonard Slatkin.

"And for a completely unproven documentary producer," she said. This is her first feature-length documentary. Slatkin allowed her crew to tape tense minutes: a live concert, two orchestra rehearsals, an opera rehearsal and two private rehearsal sessions with soloists.

It cheered her that after her cameramen Mike Flanary and Doug Hastings began work, Slatkin began to get more recognition. His orchestra was heralded as the best in the country by New York magazine and as the second best by Time magazine. And there was an article on him and his penguin collection in People magazine. The St. Louis Symphony and Slatkin were showered with praise on a tour of Europe. When they won a Grammy, Petzall's cameras recorded its presentation.

What intrigued and charmed her is that the maestro seems perplexed that people are interested in him. It is his music that absorbs him, not his image, she found. Yo-Yo Ma told her that unlike most conductors, Slatkin attends other musicians' concerts and has even volunteered to turn a pianist's pages.

But there is no question of his pride in his orchestra. In a video highlight Slatkin mentions to Rep. Sidney R. Yates, D.-Chicago, at a congressional hearing on arts funding, that the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra has been called the best orchestra in the country and also the second best in the country after the Chicago Symphony.

"Which one is really best?" Yates asked.

"My orchestra," beamed Slatkin.

The taping Petzall enjoyed most was her two-hour interview with Slatkin in his Powell Hall office. He talked about growing up in Los Angeles in a family of musicians, the son of conductor Felix and cellist Eleanor Slatkin. Those who came for dinner included Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye, Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg and Doris Day. He had no friends as a boy, Slatkin said.

The year his father died, he stopped playing music. He was 19, and he enrolled in an English course in Los Angeles' City College. But soon he was packing for four years at JuiIliard.

"It is like a religion; you get a calling, " he said "... if you have a calling you go back."

Much of the videotape focuses on him conducting. At one point, the camera focuses on him at work for a relentless 53 seconds. "That is really long for video, but his expressions are so wonderful," Petzall said.

Petzall still has work to do. KETC-TV Channel 9 likely will air it locally, but, she's determined to get it televised nationally. The three major networks almost never air something they have not produced. Curtis W. Davis, vice president of programing for the Arts and Entertainment Network, has come close to making a commitment to show it nationally on cable.

"I have no doubt that it will be seen by a wide national audience," said Sharon Posner, an assistant producer who has been working since November as Petzall's volunteer marketing arm. "The Arts and Entertainment Network is a beginning. Then, Public Broadcasting. PBS wouldn't pay for it. The most efficient thing would be to find a corporate sponsor. We need to raise $47,000 or $50,000."

Mopping up the debts also will consume Petzall's time. Innervision Productions Inc. of St. Louis County, her production company, agreed not to bill her until she finds backers or sells rights to a cable company. Innervision provided camera director Debbie Rogers and videotape editor Wally Bonham and hours of using its studios at $500 an hour.

"It was so generous, the equivalent of a loan," Petzall said. Some bills had to be paid up front, and she took out personal loans to pay them. All soloists taped in the production waived fees. But the St. Louis Symphony's union contract prevents musicians from waiving their appearance fees. She had to pay $9,000 in advance to tape the orchestra during a scheduled rehearsal and one subscription series performance.

"But all documentary producers always work in debt," she said.

To seek arts foundation funds she had to be sponsored by a non-profit organization. Legacy Productions Inc., a not-for-profit tax-exempt organization, agreed to be the video's sponsor. Legacy was founded by Kathy Corley, a media professor at Webster University, to promote and support documentary work.

With that affiliation, Petzall got a few contributions from individuals, and foundations and grants from the Missouri Arts Council and the Regional Cultural and Performing Arts Development Commission.

She had never produced a feature length documentary before. She fell into the profession, she said, after she got a master's degree in philosophy of art and aesthetics at Washington University. She applied for a job as a researcher for a free-lance television producer in St. Louis to do a pilot for ABC/Hearst Daytime. It was made but was never aired.

But she was hooked on video and began producing short freelance features for KETC-TV's "Skyline." She helped that station's executive producer, Andy Ruhlin, tape cello contestant Sara Sant' Ambrogio's performance in the Mae M. Whitaker string competition in 1983. The video, "A Performer's Diary," won a local Emmy.

"She learns fast, is very ambitious, sensitive, and has resources that many documentary producers don't have," Ruhlin said.

SLATKIN! A SYMPHONY Film Review
Harper Barnes, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

As producer Jill Petzall points out in her fine documentary on Leonard Slatkin, the conducter went along with the nickname "Lenny" in his younger days, when he was the precocious assistant conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and doing daring things with contemporary music, including jazz and pop.

Now that he is the music director, and has brought the orchestra into prominence as one of the best in the country, he has become Leonard, almost out of necessity.

It is not that Slatkin has turned stuffy. As the film shows, he continues to appear at ease, patient and friendly - very American - in his public appearances including informative, witty and remarkably non-condescending musical chats with schoolchildren and talk-show hosts.

But it is clear that he runs things, and as several of his musicians tell Petzall, the conductor almost has to be a little separate from the instrumentalists. As one man says, Slatkin doesn't go in the musicians' dressing room, even though "he would be welcome there."

Petzall left room, at least in this viewer's mind, for a second explanation of the name change - there has already been a famous American-born conductor nick-named Lenny. If there is a disappointment about the film, it may be that, on the surface, it does not appear to go very deeply into Slatkin's personality or the roots of his vast musical ambitions. And yet, the film deepens in afterthought. Paradoxically, Slatkin appears to be one of the most open public figures imaginable, and yet, one feels after thinking about the film, he is also a very private man.

There is no discussion of his adult private life, but there are some fascinating tibdits about his childhood, growing up without friends his own age in a musical family that divided its time between classical chamber groups and background music for the movies. There is something wonderfully American about that combination, Mozart and DeMille. The film slows down and gets a bit repetitive in the third of its four movements, but ends marvelously with musical and verbal duets between Slatkin and the effervescent, equally American- sounding, young virtuoso cellist Yo-Yo Ma. "Slatkin! A Symphony," presented by the St. Louis based Legacy Productions, will have its premiere at 8 tonight at the St. Louis Art Museum, with a reception to follow. Tickets are $6 for the hour-long movie alone, $12 for the movie and a reception with Slatkin to follow.

SPOTLIGHT: SLATKIN! A SYMPHONY
Terri F. Reilly, St. Louis Magazine, May 1986

WHEN LOCAL PRODUCER JILL Petzall decided to make a video documentary on the professional life of Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Musical Director and Conductor Leonard Slatkin, she labored over writing the proposal. She wanted it to be perfect when she presented it to the maestro. When Petzall got her chance, she was taken aback when Slatkin glanced over the multi-paged proposal, which took her hours to prepare, and said okay, noting she had his age wrong. The first thing Petzall learned about the star of her documentary was that he is a speedreader.

The notion to document Slatkin came to Petzall in 1983 when she realized it was only a matter of time before someone would make a film about the already rising star. And since Petzall's previous work, which has aired on Channel Nine's St. Louis Skyline, focused on local artists, the conductor was a natural.

But before the camera rolled, a number of guidelines had been set for Petzall. Slatkin's requests were simple: no private life and no taping four hours before a concert performance. The rules set by the American Federation of Musicians, the Union that represents members of the Symphony, presented a challenge to Petzall.

"Because of the musicians' union contract, which protects them from exploitation, we were only allowed to tape a maximum of two hours, but the camera could only run for an hour at a time," says Petzall. "From that two hours of tape, we were only allowed to use ten minutes of footage in which the entire orchestra is seen."

Rather than produce a chronological documentary, Petzall viewed Slatkin as Slatkin views his work -- in movements.

The upbeat opening movement, "Allegro-vivace," reveals Slatkin's wit and humor and his enthusiasm for conducting. Thy second movement, "Adagio," slows the pace to recount Slatkin's background and his reflections on the role of a symphony conductor. "Scherzo," the third movement, follows the conductor on tour and shows some of the more unusual aspects of his profession.

The hour-long video concludes with the fourth movement. "Maestoso," the climax of the documentary, allows Slatkin to cut loose and do what he does best: conduct. This section is viewed from rehearsal to finale, as it shows Slatkin's ability to build a concert. "I wanted the documentary to be both entertaining and educational," says Petzall.

"I wanted to make classical music something that was accessible to all. I wanted people to know what it takes to be a conductor, and what it takes to lead. I wanted people to walk away from the video and say, 'I didn't know those things before.' "

In addition to her duties as producer, Petzall was responsible for finding the money to fund her project. She found some help when Kathy Corley of Legacy Productions, Inc. took an interest in the documentary. Corley is the executive producer of Slatkin! A Symphony.

Legacy, an independent, nonprofit, St. Louis-based organization, works with independent filmmakers and videographers, helping them to bring their ideas to the screen. Although Legacy could offer no direct financial assistance, the group's nonprofit status made it easier for Petzall to raise funds for her project. But even more important, says Petzall, were the assistance and advice Legacy provided.

Beyond the public screening held April 30 at the Saint Louis Art Museum, and the private Friends showing May 1, distribution of Slatkin! A Symphony is still open.

THE TAPING OF LEONARD SLATKIN:
CAPTURING THE REAL SLATKIN ON FILM IS DOCUMENTARY'S GOAL
Charlene Bry St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Sat-Sun March 30-31, 1985

Leonard Slatkin the gourmet. Leonard Slatkin the movie buff... the symphony director... the rising star in international music circles.

Will the real Leonard Slatkin please stand up?

A St. Louis County woman is seeking the answer to that question. Jill Petzall, a former freelance producer for KETC-TV, is creating her first independent documentary about the esteemed St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Conductor. Slatkin's musical background and his ability to communicate with words as well as music "makes for a fascinating documentary," she says.

A child prodigy born into a musical family, Slatkin once quipped that his home was populated by a "resident string quartet. "

His brother, Frederick Zlotkin (a variation of the name), is a freelance concert cellist; his mother, Eleanor Slatkin, also a cellist, was a member of the Hollywood Shift Quartet in Los Angeles and is now a studio musician with 20thCentury Fox. Slatkin's father, Felix, who died at the age of 47, was a former concert master for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and the Hollywood Row Symphony and conducted musical scores for movies.

Slatkin's intelligence is what Ms. Petzall recalls most of their first meeting. "I spent days preparing a detailed three-page proposal for the documentary. When I handed Slatkin the proposal, I was fascinated with how rapidly he read and turned the pages. He is obviously a rapid reader and looked at a page in one glance. In 15 seconds he finished reading the proposal and looked at me and said, 'It sounds great. Where do I sign?' Then he added, 'You've got my age down wrong.'"

Slatkin's busy schedule proved to be as fast-paced as his reading. Finding a free moment to film him was at first difficult, admits Ms. Petzall. The conductor seemed always to be hopping a plane for Japan, Germany, Scotland or other foreign country. He has also appeared at podiums throughout the U.S. In one recent season, for example, he led the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra, making him the first American-born and -trained conductor to lead these top symphony orchestras in one season.

Under his direction, the St. Louis Symphony recently won two Grammy awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, one for Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5, and has had 18 Grammy nominations.

Since arranging shooting time was difficult, Ms. Petzall decided to tape the conductor as he went through his normal routine, from orchestra rehearsals to actual musical appearances, interviews with the media and meeting the public.

As a result, she believes the documentary is realistic. In the clips "you can see how he moves people with his humor and can feel his magnetism and creative energy. It may explain why he is able to take on so many activities and succeed in all of them, " she says.

ONE SEQUENCE shows Slatkin quipping about why audiences attend symphonies. "Some people say that a concert is simply a two-hour interruption of a good meal," he says.

"Many people think of conductors as serious music people, somber. But Slatkin dispells that idea. He has wonderful sense of humor, ranging from puns to wry responses," says Ms. Petzall.

The hour-long documentary, called "A Character That Will Keep," was taped mainly in St. Louis. The musical journey takes the viewer to Powell Symphony Hall where Slatkin is interviewed by the late KMOX announcer Jack Carney, to the Grand Cafe with KWMU radio announcer Reiner Steinhoff and a surprise 40th birthday party for him at Powell Symphony Hall given by the symphony staff. There is endearing footage of him explaining what it it takes to be a musician to the St. Louis Youth Symphony Orchestra and a humorous segment of him coaching a new conductor.

It also shows the professional Slatkin in Washington, D.C., rehearsing with Yo-Yo Ma, famous cellist for the National Symphony Orchestra; and as an orator, giving a convincing talk to a House of Representative subcommittee for increasing funds to the National endowment for the Arts.

Slatkin's interests are as numerous and varied as movements in a symphony. Although his time is limited, he enjoys rock video, sporting events and cooking Chinese and Italian dishes. His favorite food includes pasta dishes and Ted Drewes frozen custard.

"YOU MAY FIND Slatkin leading the St. Louis Symphony or playing Pac-Man," says Ms. Petzall. She hopes to capture Slatkin announcing a portion of a St. Louis Cardinal baseball game with KMOX sportscaster Jack Buck in June. "Slatkin is such an avid baseball fan that when he was in Israel during the '82 World Series in St. Louis, he called home regularly to find out the scores," says Ms. Petzall.

"What's also fascinating about Slatkin is his leadership qualities," notes Ms. Petzall. "He's able to unify 100 strong-willed musicians in an orchestra, influence congressmen or speak about music to a child. When the camera crew followed him to Washington, his impact on the congressmen was obvious," she says.

There is no narration in the documentary. The conductor provides his own lyrics best. "Leonard is able to tell his own story better than anyone else," says Ms. Petzall.

The video is divided into four movements on a symphonic-like structure: The first, allegro-vivace, shares Slatkin's wit, moods and hobbies; the next, adagio, slows down to capture the depth of his aesthetic ideals; the third movement, scherzo, guides you to various cities to view Slatkin with composers, chefs, and international dignitaries; and the last movement, maestoso, crescendos with Slatkin's musical creativity.

MS. PETZALL, WITH the help of Kathy Corley, executive producer for Legacy Productions, and Debbie Rogers director, hopes filming and editing will be completed by January.

Ms. Petzall plans to broadcast the documentary nationally but details have not been finalized. The video will be available to grade schools, colleges, libraries and to the St. Louis Symphony as an educational tool. She is seeking funds for the project from the National Endowment for the Arts, Missouri Arts Council and corporate and private sponsorship.

Ms. Petzall believes, "We must preserve personalities of artists for future generations." Although written biographies about artists have their virtues, Ms. Petzall, the mother of three grown children, says in videos subjects become "a living, breathing force" where you can experience "the sound of an artist's voice and expressions on his face."

How would Ms. Petzall describe the real Leonard Slatkin after a year of working with him? "Someone once wrote that man is measured by what he gives his attention to. It's been fun to discover the diverse interests that hold his."