Why so much Tchaikovsky the coming season?

[AB68]

I just browsed through some orchestras websites to take a look a the programmes for the coming season.I noticed there is alot of Tchaikovsky on the programes of most orchestras. The New York Philharmonic even has a subscrition series dedictaed to him.
As far as I know he was born in 1840 and died in 1893, so aniversaries can't be the reason for this.
Is there another reason, or is his music just in fashion at the moment?
Don't get me wrong, I adore his music, so emotional and moving, but I remember a few years ago, he was not performed that much, at least not in Germany. Now it seems he is performed almost as mush as Brahms and Beethoven.

[karlhenning]

Why so much Tchaikovsky the coming season?  Because it is just so good!

[AB68]

Yes, but why is his music performed more frequently this year? It seems to be a genera global trend.

[Bruckner is God]

I guess people are tired of Mozart and Shostakovich. And Thaikovsky sells more tickets than most other.

[schweitzeralan]

Why so much Tchaikovsky the coming season?  Because it is just so good!

Just today I heard Tchsikovsky's "Third Piano Concerto," 1st movement.  The last time I heard it was a year ago.  Fine work.  Tchaikovsky at his best during (I believe), his late period. 

[Taxes-]

And Thaikovsky sells more tickets than most other.

I'm not sure just how early the programmes are chosen, but I'd lean toward this. In times of economic uncertainty they probably want to make sure that they're able to fill their concerts as often as possible.

There doesn't seem to be all that much Tchaikovsky in next year's schedules around here (the 6th with the OSM+Vengerov, the violin concerto with the OM+Hussein+Ivanov, and that seems to be it), but there will be a "Beethoven Festival" that will doubtlessly be very popular instead.

edit: actually, there are two other Tchaikovsky compositions on the OSM schedule, the 1st piano concerto and also the violin concerto.

[Brian]

I guess people are tired of Mozart and Shostakovich. And Thaikovsky sells more tickets than most other.

Houston Symphony Composer Count

Number of works by each composer on next year's Houston Symphony schedule

Mozart - 6
Barber - 2
Tchaikovsky - 2
Beethoven - 2
Sibelius - 2
Mahler - 2
Haydn - 1
Shostakovich - 1
The entire baroque era - 2 [both Handel]
Brahms - 0

[Drasko]

Why so much Tchaikovsky the coming season?  Because it is just so good!

Belgrade Phil. composer count for next season:

Sibelius - 5
Tchaikovsky - 4
Dvorak - 4
Brahms - 3
Berlioz - 3
Copland - 2
Mendelssohn - 2
Ravel - 2
R.Strauss - 2
Debussy - 2
Beethoven - 2
Mozart - 2

Others one or none, four concerts with yet unannounced programs

[Bulldog]

Here's a timely idea.  All the orchestras dump their programs and do a Michael Jackson retrospective for the entire season.  That would entirely change the make-up of the audience and raise revenues.  I'll watch from home.

[Brian]

Here's a timely idea.  All the orchestras dump their programs and do a Michael Jackson retrospective for the entire season.  That would entirely change the make-up of the audience and raise revenues.  I'll watch from home.

Do I remember correctly that you're in Albuquerque? Just googled up the fact that ABQ allegedly has three symphony orchestras. I see Vadim Gluzman is coming to town this year to do Korngold's Violin Concerto, though I'm not a fan of the piece...

[DavidW]

I think Don's plan was to turn off the tv, and tune out the screams of a dieing culture by listening to Bach on his stereo.  In his bomb shelter.

[hautbois]

Houston Symphony Composer Count

Number of works by each composer on next year's Houston Symphony schedule

Mozart - 6
Barber - 2
Tchaikovsky - 2
Beethoven - 2
Sibelius - 2
Mahler - 2
Haydn - 1
Shostakovich - 1
The entire baroque era - 2 [both Handel]
Brahms - 0

God bless for the 6 Mozarts!

[Wanderer]

Why so much Tchaikovsky the coming season?  Because it is just so good!

Extra marks for Karl, there.  

[MishaK]

Tchaikovsky sells. What can you say... The CSO likewise last season had a completely random Dvorak festival, while completely ignoring the Messiaen centenary.

CSO next season count:

Bruckner - 2
Bartok - 4
Mozart - 5
Brahms - 3
Stravinsky - 4
Mendelssohn - 3
Ravel - 5
Haydn - 2
Mahler - 2
Strauss - 3
Tchaikovsky - 3
Berg - 2
Beethoven - 11 (complete cycle w/Haitink to close H's last season as principal conductor)
Rachmaninov - 2
Vaughan Williams - 2
Shostakovich - 2
Wagner - 3

All other composers only once.

[Superhorn]

  The Tchaikovsky 3rd piano concerto is a one movement piece, and the music was also recycled into the so-called 7th symphony, which was put together by a Russian musicologist from odds and ends from Tchaikovsky's workbook, and which Ormandy and the Philadelphia recorded back in the 60s.
  Tchaikovsky's music is not popular without a reason; audiences find it enormously appealing. And conductors, pianists and violinists etc love to perform his music.  And who can blame audiences and performers for this? But his best known works have unfortunately become hackneyed through over exposure. Some of his lesser-known works deserve to be performed more often,such as the first three symphonies,the 2nd piano concerto, the four suites for orchestra,the Manfred symphony,and the operas Mazeppa, Cherevichki, Maid of Orleans,  the Enchantress and Iolanta. Pianists should put the piano sonata on their programs more often.
All of these have been recorded and are well-worth seeking out.

[Bunny]

I just browsed through some orchestras websites to take a look a the programmes for the coming season.I noticed there is alot of Tchaikovsky on the programes of most orchestras. The New York Philharmonic even has a subscrition series dedictaed to him.
As far as I know he was born in 1840 and died in 1893, so aniversaries can't be the reason for this.
Is there another reason, or is his music just in fashion at the moment?
Don't get me wrong, I adore his music, so emotional and moving, but I remember a few years ago, he was not performed that much, at least not in Germany. Now it seems he is performed almost as mush as Brahms and Beethoven.

The concert season is 2009-2010.  2010 is the 170th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's birth.  Any anniversary with a 0 or a 5 inspires the concert planners. 

[Bruckner is God]

The concert season is 2009-2010.  2010 is the 170th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's birth.  Any anniversary with a 0 or a 5 inspires the concert planners. 

Look at the date of the first post.

[The Six]

The LA Times critic recently talked about the "resurgence" of Prokofiev in programs recently. I didn't know there ever was a lack of Prokofiev, as he's always seemed prominent, but the critic seemed to just use it as a set up to arbitrarily bring up Shostakovich and compare the two. Of course, he revealed in his column that he thinks Prokofiev is the better composer, and saw this "resurgence" as a chance to bemoan the Shostakovich programs that had been popping up. He didn't specifically mention the LA Phil's big Shostakovich symphony cycle, but he was obviously just looking for a chance to announce that he thinks Prokofiev is superior.

[Brian]

The LA Times critic recently talked about the "resurgence" of Prokofiev in programs recently. I didn't know there ever was a lack of Prokofiev, as he's always seemed prominent, but the critic seemed to just use it as a set up to arbitrarily bring up Shostakovich and compare the two. Of course, he revealed in his column that he thinks Prokofiev is the better composer, and saw this "resurgence" as a chance to bemoan the Shostakovich programs that had been popping up. He didn't specifically mention the LA Phil's big Shostakovich symphony cycle, but he was obviously just looking for a chance to announce that he thinks Prokofiev is superior.

Maybe I'm revealing my youth and inexperience here, but ... there are professional music lovers who don't like Shostakovich?