I Love the Four Seasons, and Other Confessions

The Four Seasons, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Tchaikovsky's 5th, Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto, West Side Story - all pieces that are guaranteed crowd pleasers. They solve budgetary problems, they fill the hall, and they make people happy. So why then do a lot of musicians, critics, and some other audience members dislike them so much? What makes them great pieces? Why do audiences like them? And why do critics and other audience members look down their noses at them? We'll explore all of that this wee