Bachtrack has released its classical musical statistics for 2017. The online portal keeps track of classical music performances across the globe, making note of in-demand composers, most played pieces and busiest conductors.
The headline news is that Mozart replaces Beethoven as the most performed composer. Bach follows close behind in third, with his Messiah the most played work. There were no female composers in the top 100 at all.
As for the land of the living, Arvo Pärt took top spot for the seventh year running. John Adams, John Williams and Philip Glass fill out the rest of the top four, with Sofia Gubaidulina the most performed female contemporary composer.
On the podium, female conductors are still hugely underrepresented: just five women made the top 100 busiest conductors list, with JoAnn Falletta the highest-placed. Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Andris Nelsons and Alan Gilbert were the hardest-working male concert conductors.
On to dance companies and orchestras: New York Philharmonic gave an impressive 139 concerts, while Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris took to the stage 180 times.
For the first time Bachtrack also offered a national breakdown of the types of work performed in various countries. It found that contemporary pieces were more popular in Spain and the UK, while Germany favours baroque, France 20th century works and Austria leans heavily on the classical period.