Most over programmed concert works

[Brahmsian]

Not a specific "poll", per se, I am curious as to what specific works you believe are over programmed in the concert hall?

Bonus points if you can list works specific to your local orchestra or chamber music organization. 

Top four over programmed by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, easily and by far are:

Beethoven - Symphony No.7
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5
Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto

[Mirror Image]

Pretty much all of what is the so-called "standard repertoire" would apply here. So I guess my answer would be ALL OF IT!

[Florestan]

Pretty much all of what is the so-called "standard repertoire" would apply here. So I guess my answer would be ALL OF IT!

Agreed. 

But then again, give me the so-called "standard repertoire" over the non-standard repertoire every day and night. 

[Mirror Image]

Agreed. 

But then again, give me the so-called "standard repertoire" over the non-standard repertoire every day and night. 

A lovely mix-and-match would be ideal, but this doesn't always happen, especially when you can clearly see an orchestra is trying to fill seats, which I understand as they need to make money.

[Karl Henning]

Not a specific "poll", per se, I am curious as to what specific works you believe are over programmed in the concert hall?

Bonus points if you can list works specific to your local orchestra or chamber music organization. 

Top four over programmed by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, easily and by far are:

Beethoven - Symphony No.7
Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5
Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto

Tangentially, when I was at UVa, the music director of the orchestra (whose "core" was faculty, plus students and members of the community) at the time would program one Brahms symphony every season. He rotated them so that any student would have the chance to play each of the four while at the
University. It was simultaneously the object of gentle jest, and a nice opportunity.

[Symphonic Addict]

Concert programs with these works put me off 

Orff: Carmina Burana
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4
Elgar: Cello Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

[Brian]

The Dallas Symphony is doing the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 two seasons in a row right now, which strikes me as truly excessive. Two in a row?!

Pictures at an Exhibition, Beethoven's 9th, and bizarrely the Beethoven Second (!) and Third piano concertos also get programmed here every 3 years or less.

I will give them credit, they're also about to do the Lutoslawski Concerto for Orchestra for the second time in five years, an almost unimaginable but honestly very awesome frequency!

[DavidW]

The local orchestra here hits Beethoven's symphonies and concertos pretty hard but they don't tend to repeat the same works.  The only two I've heard twice from them is The Pines of Rome and Slow Ride on a Fast Machine.

[Mirror Image]

The local orchestra here hits Beethoven's symphonies and concertos pretty hard but they don't tend to repeat the same works.  The only two I've heard twice from them is The Pines of Rome and Slow Ride on a Fast Machine.

Oh...those are two great works right there (Pini di Rome and Slow Ride in a Fast Machine). I'd love to hear these in a concert hall.

[Symphonic Addict]

Oh...those are two great works right there (Pini di Rome and Slow Ride in a Fast Machine). I'd love to hear these in a concert hall.

I too would buy tickets for a concert like that if given the opportunity!

[Mirror Image]

I too would buy tickets for a concert like that if given the opportunity!

Well, this kind of program requires some thinking outside of the box and it seems orchestra's aren't too good at this nowadays.

[TheGSMoeller]

I'm a sucker for whatever is playing, even the "classics"
This year alone I've seen Nashville Symphony play Schubert Unfinished, DSCH 5th, Dvorak 8th, Ravel's Bolero and still have Debussy's Le Mer and Beethoven's 9th to go this season. I've seen these all performed before whether by NSO or from another Orchestra, and would see them again, nothing beats the thrill of a live performance.

I would still prefer to see more rarities or contemporary works scheduled, but popularity sells. NSO does do a good job of mixing in contemporary composers though, had a few world premieres this year and several more scheduled next season.

[kyjo]

Definitely these (please note: I am not equating "over-played" with "not deserving of popularity" ):

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
Beethoven: everything
Brahms: everything
Bruch: Violin Concerto no. 1
Bruckner: Symphony no. 4
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Debussy: La mer
Dvorak: Symphonies 8 and 9
Elgar: Cello Concerto
Mahler: Symphonies 1, 2, and 5
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures
Prokofiev: Symphony no. 5
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos 2 and 3
Ravel: Bolero
Respighi: Pines of Rome
Rimsky: Scheherazade
Shostakovich: Symphonies 5 and 10
Sibelius: Symphony no. 2 and Violin Concerto
Stravinsky: Firebird, Petrushka, Rite of Spring
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 4-6, Violin Concerto, Rococo Variations, Romeo and Juliet


Great as many of these works are, if I had the power, I would ban all of them from the concert halls for just one year to force more creative programming.

[Symphonic Addict]

Definitely these (please note: I am not equating "over-played" with "not deserving of popularity" ):

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
Beethoven: everything
Brahms: everything
Bruch: Violin Concerto no. 1
Bruckner: Symphony no. 4
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Debussy: La mer
Dvorak: Symphonies 8 and 9
Elgar: Cello Concerto
Mahler: Symphonies 1, 2, and 5
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures
Prokofiev: Symphony no. 5
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concertos 2 and 3
Ravel: Bolero
Respighi: Pines of Rome
Rimsky: Scheherazade
Shostakovich: Symphonies 5 and 10
Sibelius: Symphony no. 2 and Violin Concerto
Stravinsky: Firebird, Petrushka, Rite of Spring
Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 4-6, Violin Concerto, Rococo Variations, Romeo and Juliet


Great as many of these works are, if I had the power, I would ban all of them from the concert halls for just one year to force more creative programming.

Hell, quite true!! Concert halls are losing tons of money by not programming or performing a different and wider range of repertoire. I mean, do you imagine some Atterberg's Symphony No. 2 being performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony? Or Zara Levina's Piano Concerto No. 2 along with Berwald's Symphony No. 2 Sinfonia Capricieuse in a row at the music hall? I mean, the options are there. You just have to take risks and you get it.

[kyjo]

Hell, quite true!! Concert halls are losing tons of money by not programming or performing a different and wider range of repertoire. I mean, do you imagine some Atterberg's Symphony No. 2 being performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony? Or Zara Levina's Piano Concerto No. 2 along with Berwald's Symphony No. 2 Sinfonia Capricieuse in a row at the music hall? I mean, the options are there. You just have to take risks and you get it.

I would gladly spend my entire last paycheck on a ticket to hear the Pittsburgh Symphony (or any professional orchestra!) perform something by Atterberg, Braga Santos, Lloyd, Casella, hell, just about any deserving "non-mainstream" composer. Unfortunately, those in charge of programming seem to believe that only the mainstream classics will sell tickets. Of course, they may very well be right, unfortunately, but like you say, the chance must at least be taken!!

BTW, as a ray of hope, I saw that Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony are performing Schmidt's Symphony no. 4 next spring!! Needless to say, I will do everything in my power to be there, even though I no longer live in Pittsburgh. Of course, they're advertising the program as "Emanuel Ax plays Chopin" : https://pittsburghsymphony.org/production/77725/emanuel-ax-plays-chopin

[vandermolen]

Concert programs with these works put me off 

Orff: Carmina Burana
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4
Elgar: Cello Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

Largely agree, although I'm currently playing and enjoying the Elgar now.
I might add Dvorak's New World Symphony and Vaughan Williams's 'The Lark Ascending'.

It is great to sometimes hear lesser-known works, like Bantock's 'Celtic Symphony' (all those harps) played live, as I did a few years ago. Also Havergal Brian's 'Gothic Symphony' which, amazingly, I've heard twice in concert (Brabbins, Schmidt).

[Maestro267]

...or any of the rest of Havergal Brian's symphonies, that require significantly less logistical challenges in the majority of cases.

[Brian]

Dallas did Schmidt 4 this year.

Dallas overall does a very good job; last year they stuck to the Big Hits to make some money back after the pandemic, but now they are back on track with more interesting programs again. Some recent/future stuff they've had include Rach's The Bells, Schmidt 4, Martinu 4, Shostakovich 4, Rouse 5 (premiere), Macmillan violin concerto 2, several premieres by composer in residence Angelica Negrón, a bassoon concerto on Native American folk legends, Gabriela Montero playing her own piano concerto, the Prokofiev Symphony-Concerto, Dvorak Water Goblin and Wood Dove...

So I can complain that Fabio Luisi is doing yet another Brahms cycle, but in fact there is a remarkable attempt to have something for everyone.

[Karl Henning]

Largely agree, although I'm currently playing and enjoying the Elgar now.
I might add Dvorak's New World Symphony and Vaughan Williams's 'The Lark Ascending'.

It is great to sometimes hear lesser-known works, like Bantock's 'Celtic Symphony' (all those harps) played live, as I did a few years ago. Also Havergal Brian's 'Gothic Symphony' which, amazingly, I've heard twice in concert (Brabbins, Schmidt).

I don't think the Elgar (which I always delight to hear) is at all overdone this side of The Pond.

[Karl Henning]

Dallas did Schmidt 4 this year.

Dallas overall does a very good job; last year they stuck to the Big Hits to make some money back after the pandemic, but now they are back on track with more interesting programs again. Some recent/future stuff they've had include Rach's The Bells, Schmidt 4, Martinu 4, Shostakovich 4, Rouse 5 (premiere), Macmillan violin concerto 2, several premieres by composer in residence Angelica Negrón, a bassoon concerto on Native American folk legends, Gabriela Montero playing her own piano concerto, the Prokofiev Symphony-Concerto, Dvorak Water Goblin and Wood Dove...

So I can complain that Fabio Luisi is doing yet another Brahms cycle, but in fact there is a remarkable attempt to have something for everyone.

Nice.