NARRATOR: The idea was ambitious... [ Horns honking ] ...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... MAN: [ Snaps fingers ] NARRATOR: ...of masterpieces from music director Gerard Schwarz and for an audience of just you.

♪♪ SCHWARZ: Welcome to "The All-Star Orchestra."

We're so happy you've joined us.

On today's program is the great "Concerto for Orchestra" by Béla Bartók and the "Prelude and Fugue in D Major" by Johann Sebastian Bach in the orchestration by Ottorino Respighi.

♪♪ The "Bach Prelude in D Major" is our next work.

Why would anyone make an orchestration of a Bach prelude?

I mean, it's great music.

It's for the organ.

It's hugely successful.

Well, usually people make transcriptions because the music isn't played enough.

Any work for organ is not often performed, except in churches, where most of organs live.

So, to do an orchestral version of an organ work makes a tremendous amount of sense.

Ottorino Respighi, who was a great orchestrator, was interested in doing this, and he did four of these works of Bach for orchestra.

PATTERSON: Bach sounds great on any instrument.

You know, everybody plays Bach.

You trombone players play the Bach suites.

Everybody plays Bach because Bach is just -- it's so beautiful.

KNOX: You know, when it's only one person playing all of these continuous kind of intertangled lines, it's almost easier than when, suddenly, you have several dozen people trying to intertwine all of these different moving parts.

It has to really fit together.

It's like a well-oiled machine.

And when it works, it's really cool.

MARTIN: Two of my favorite composers.

Bach, of course, without question, But Respighi also.

I think many people who aren't classical musical-philes, Respighi is not on their radar.

But what an incredible symphonist and an incredible orchestrator.

This particular arrangement, I think, showcases Respighi's creativity.

♪♪ SCHWARZ: In the case of this work, he uses a huge orchestra, makes tremendous sounds of great variety.

And when we talk about orchestration, what are we talking about?

We're talking about how the composer puts those notes into the orchestra.

JULIAN SCHWARZ: It's a tour de force.

It's a -- It's the logical extension of what Bach did in his own time.

RALSKE: Certainly, Bach wrote a number of pieces, but for more of a Baroque-sized orchestra, And so, for a full symphony orchestra with full winds and brass, to get a chance to play Bach is always fun.

MULTER: Big, you know, romantic interpretation of Bach's sound world.

ZAKANY: It's sort of like Bach on steroids.

Like, you're surrounded by this intense sound, but it has the essence of Bach.

WILLIAMS: It's very sort of like muscular kind of writing.

You know, very energetic.

It's very -- It leans forward.

It has a lot of power to it, a lot of times.

JULIAN: It's very effective.

And I -- That's the piece that I enjoyed recording the most.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ [ Music softens ] [ Music intensifying ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music pauses ] [ Soft music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ [ Music stops ] ♪♪ SCHWARZ: Béla Bartók was born in 1881, in Hungary.

He was an ethnomusicologist.

He actually went to all parts of the land and recorded native Hungarians who knew the old folk songs, and he put many of these folk songs in his music.

He was very famous for saying, "Yes, I do use Hungarian folk music.

But that's not hard.

What's hard is what you do with the Hungarian folk music."

And of course, that's true.

So, Bartók was someone who really knew how to develop with great imagination.

He was extremely successful.

Many, many great works.

And maybe his most popular is the "Concerto for Orchestra" that he wrote in 1944.

He came to the United States in 1943 to give some lectures at Harvard, and wasn't well.

And he was diagnosed at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York with leukemia.

They decided not to tell him because that was 1943.

They figured he had a few more years left.

Why should he suffer, knowing that he was going to die in a couple of years?

While he was in the hospital at Mount Sinai, the great conductor of the Boston Symphony, Koussevitsky, came to visit him.

He said, "I'd like to commission a new orchestral work."

At first, Bartók was reluctant because of his health concerns, but then he agreed.

And what came is this masterpiece.

So, the first question is, "But what's a concerto for orchestra?"

Well, obviously, the soloist or the soloists are the orchestra.

Sometimes it's a whole section -- the first violin section, the viola section, the cello section -- sometimes it's an individual.

So, for example, the second movement is a game of pairs.

So it's a pair of bassoons, a pair of flutes, a pair of oboes, a pair of clarinets, and a pair of trumpets.

♪♪ KNOX: The Bartók is a really fun piece for second flute, because there's this great duet section in the second movement.

It's the moment that second flute players look forward to.

And that's the highlight of the week for me, playing that with Jake, who is a good friend and someone I was really excited to work with this week.

YOUNG: Yeah, the second movement excites me.

I just think it's playful.

SCHWARZ: Interestingly, also, there's a middle section of brass chorale, very beautiful.

And then the pairs return.

But when the pairs return, he adds a voice.

YOUNG: That whole extended bassoon section.

I love that.

It's just really different.

BUNCKE: Every person in the orchestra gets kind of their moment to shine.

CHEN: I'm always astounded by his craft.

MARTIN: Bartók is one of those masterful composers who writes for every instrument as if he's played it his entire life.

HUGHES: I think he's just using the qualities that are inherent in our instrument and sort of amplifying them.

ALLEN: Harpists love Bartók.

I particularly do because he writes really well for it.

He uses the harp as a folk instrument in the first movement, to play with wooden sticks.

It's a really exciting moment.

So it's very cool.

OLKA: With Bartók, it's a color.

I really feel like what he did allows the tubaists a tremendous latitude to express themselves in the context of the greater orchestra.

♪♪ YOUNG: Bartók is fun.

ZAKANY: Bartók is just one of those composers that gets right into dance mode.

It's easy, like, in the last movement, to sort of [Vocalizing].

It's just sort of, like, you can't help but do the shoulder shimmy.

And there's a lot of moments like that.

This piece in particular, I genuinely look forward to playing every time.

CHEN: I love playing it.

I think it's a great piece.

It's a real showpiece for the orchestra.

LI: It's showcased this orchestra really, really well because every section is so strong.

JULIAN: It's such a monumental, virtuosic display for the whole orchestra.

So, of all the pieces that you should do with an all-star orchestra, I think this is the one.

SCHWARZ: Everyone, I think, in the orchestra feels like, to some degree, they are the soloists, and it's very gratifying for an orchestra to be highlighted and featured in this way.

♪♪ [ Soft music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] [ Music softens ] ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music pauses ] [ Drum plays ] ♪♪ [ Soft, whimsical music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Solemn music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Whimsical music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ [ Drum plays ] [ Music pauses ] [ Solemn music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music pauses ] [ Dramatic music plays ] ♪♪ [ Whimsical music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Whimsical music plays ] ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] [ Whimsical music plays ] ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music pauses ] [ Majestic music plays ] [ Intense whimsical music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music stops ] SCHWARZ: Thank you so much for joining us.

Our next program will feature Franz Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony" and works by David Diamond and Joan Tower.

[ Dramatic music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music softens ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music intensifies ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ NARRATOR: This program has been made possible with major support from... Other support by... ♪♪ ♪♪