NARRATOR: The idea was ambitious.

The best musicians in the United States, one momentous week in New York City, performing in this all-star orchestra exclusively for our cameras, to explore the most exciting music ever written, to produce a television series of masterpieces from music director Gerard Schwarz, and for an audience of just you.

[ Up-tempo classical music plays ] ♪♪ SCHWARZ: Welcome to the All-Star Orchestra.

We're so happy you've joined us.

Today's program features the spectacular "Organ Symphony" by Camille Saint-Saens and the "Sinfonía india" by Carlos Chávez.

♪♪ Carlos Chávez was probably the most important composer in the 20th century from Mexico.

He was an educator.

He was a conductor.

He started the National Philharmonic.

He started the National Conservatory in Mexico City.

But he was also very well connected to all of North America.

U.S. composers were very fond of him, and he spent a tremendous amount of time here.

One of his closest friends was Aaron Copland.

And when Chávez was trying to use indigenous music and instruments from Mexico, Copland was doing the same thing in the United States.

And he uses a whole raft of percussion instruments that are traditional percussion instruments from Mexico.

And I'm happy to say we have the original instruments rather than modern versions.

GARCIA: The instruments in front of you are from the area known as Mesoamerica.

Mesoamerica is Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, northern part of Costa Rica, and the southern part of Mexico, which is the home of the Olmecs, the Mayan people, the Mexica, Azteca, the Tlaxcallans, the Toltecs, the Zapotecs, et cetera, et cetera.

The instruments are specifically this drum here, the large vertical drum, a ceremonial drum known as tlalpan huehuetl.

It's made from a single tree trunk.

The other drum we have is also made from a single trunk, hand carved at the bottom.

You have two tongues.

[ Beating drum ] And they're traditionally played with a mallet that has rubber on the end.

Yeah?

[ Beating drum ] The other drums he incorporated are from the Yaqui people from northern Mexico.

The drum is called ba'a bwéjai.

It's a water drum.

It's a gourd, made from a dried pumpkin, and there's almost no sound out of the water.

[ Hollow tapping ] [ Thumping deepens ] As soon as it hits the water, the resonance between the water and the air in the shell is what causes the pitch.

[ Beating drum ] So, the less air, the higher the pitch.

[ Beating drum ] The more air, the lower the pitch.

[ Thumping deepens ] In the Chávez piece, there's three indigenous melodies.

There's one which is played with this drum while there's a melody being played, and the drummer's playing this, which is what you would play it with if you were in the middle of the Sonoran desert.

It's a really beautiful lullaby.

And then he just keeps embellishing it orchestrally and harmonically.

[ Mid-tempo classical music plays ] ♪♪ YOUNG: I love the repertoire that Gerry chooses because it's... some of it is old war horses.

It's great to hear it again, it's great to play it again, and it's great to play some other stuff, too, that I've never heard before.

JULIAN: Chávez is something that I'm really excited to be recording.

LI: It's a very groovy piece, and it's very fun.

HUGHES: It's all about rhythm.

MARTIN: Pretty thrilling brass writing, absolutely.

HUGHES: It swings in a way, but it's not symmetrical all the time.

MARTIN: [ Vocalizing rhythmically ] KNOX: I have three kids at home, so when I was preparing it, I was playing it for them, and they were really enjoying the beats in the music.

MARTIN: It's a sound I don't think we hear as often in the United States as we should.

It's a wonderful example of this music.

♪♪ [ Up-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo increases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo increases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo and volume increase ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo and volume increase ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music ends ] ♪♪ SCHWARZ: Camille Saint-Saens, one of the greatest French composers.

What I find especially interesting about Saint-Saens is that he was born in 1835 and died in 1921.

Now, what's so fascinating about that?

Well, 1835 means Beethoven died eight years before he was born.

So the shadow of Beethoven still was very prominent all over the musical world when Saint-Saens was growing up.

In 1921, "The Rite of Spring" of Stravinsky was already entering the repertoire.

So, here was this composer, great composer, who went from being a part of, let's call it German music, and then moving forward to where, in France, composers like Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky were creating havoc with the harmonic and melodic world.

He himself wrote 160 published works and over 300 works all told, including five piano concertos, violin concertos, the great opera "Samson and Delilah."

He wrote five symphonies.

The first two are really not known, but the next three are, and the only one that's regularly played is No.

3, and it is called the "Organ Symphony."

It was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society of London.

And the idea was that he would write a symphony and then he would come to London and conduct it because he was a fine conductor.

He also was a fine pianist.

And so the concert with the London Philharmonic was the fourth Beethoven piano concerto that he played and then the "Organ Symphony" that he conducted.

TRITLE: Saint-Saens, you know, it's the "Organ Symphony," but, you know, it's... And that's because of the role that the organ plays, which is really prominent when it's there, but he doesn't start with it.

You know, he sets up the whole orchestral scenario, this incredible adagio at the top of it that really just is kind of heavenly and blissful, yet mysterious.

And then out breaks this allegro, which really spins and develops until the point that it, like, it dissipates.

And it's only then, say, two-thirds of the way through the first movement of two, that you hear the organ, and all you hear is one soft note.

And then you hear the octave of that, and then you hear a pedal note.

And the organ now is the accompaniment for the entire string section.

♪♪ LI: The organ comes in, and the strings start.

It's this really warm, intimate beginning.

Like, everybody start together, has this...

But nobody is really singing it out loud, but it's more like sotto voce, more...

It's something you want to feel but you -- almost you're afraid to feel.

That always remains one of my favorite slow moments of all time.

CHEN: This beautiful tune that seems to go on and on and on and just forever.

ZAKANY: This sort of pastoral sweetness.

It's just so beautiful.

I never get tired of playing it.

I always find myself enjoying the harmonies.

And yeah, I like the piece a lot.

PATTERSON: Every time I hear it, I just think it's so beautiful.

I love it.

It has a special, very special meaning for me, to perform that piece.

MARTIN: The third symphony has melody everywhere.

There are at least eight tunes that you can go home whistling and you'll get an earworm tomorrow in the shower.

FRIDKIS: It's a big hit for a reason.

You know, it's just beautiful writing all over the place.

JULIAN: It's really a sensational piece.

TRITLE: For audience members who haven't experienced this piece, it's full of surprises, and really exciting and wonderful surprises.

The biggest being this amazing, mondo appearance of the organ at a moment when you least expect it.

Takes your breath away.

[ Organ plays ] HUGHES: You won't miss it when it comes in.

That's for sure.

KNOX: The power of the organ when it finally does come in with those huge chords, it's just, like, bone-rattling.

OLKA: It's thrilling every time.

LI: And you just feel the whole hall is... you know, like the resonance.

TRITLE: Signals that the race is on.

It's just a fantastic piece, and I think that even at the very first hearing, it's captivating.

♪♪ [ Slow classical music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo increases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Volume decreases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Volume decreases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo increases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ [ Volume decreases ] ♪♪ [ Tempo increases ] [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Volume decreases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo slows ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Volume decreases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Slow, soft music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo increases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Strings playing softly ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [Tempo and volume increasing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music stops ] [ Up-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music stops ] [ Organ plays ] [ Up-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo increases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Tempo increases ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music swells ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music stops ] SCHWARZ: Thank you so much for joining us.

Our next program will feature music by Franz Liszt, Paul Hindemith, and Anton Webern.

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