Robert Baldwin asks:

>Has anyone else besides me on this list had a "second coming" in terms of
>appreciating the greatness of Tchaikovsky?

Sort of.  I was devoted to Tchaikovsky in my youth, then tired of the
1st Piano Concerto, Nutcracker Suite, and 4th Symphony, though the 5th and
6th symphonies, Violin Concerto, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet remained
favorites.  Then I discovered the other piano concertos, the other tone
poems, Manfred and the early symphonies, the chamber music (especially the
piano trio), and the operas.  Then I heard a live performance of the 4th
Symphony, and I was stunned.  In terms of shelf space occupied in my CD
collection, Tchaikovsky is in the top ten, up there with Mahler, Bruckner,
Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn and Liszt.

len.