Tchaikovsky is back.

Throughout much of the 20th century, the musical establishment treated music as an intellectual art, and it was something akin to a sin to admit admiring Tchaikovsky. But with the swing toward romanticism in the arts, the time is ripe for a Tchaikovsky revival, which seems to be emerging worldwide.

On Friday, the Honolulu Symphony joined in, opening its season to a near full house with a Tchaikovsky Feast of greatest hits: the perennial favorite "Concerto No.1" featuring pianist Horacio Gutierrez, the rousing "Marche Slav," and "Symphony No.4."

Gutierrez's playing turned out to be phenomenal, almost unbelievably clean, encompassing everything from thundering double octaves to delicate shimmer passages, all of which elicited a well-deserved standing ovation. His romantic flair flowed most smoothly and glowed most warmly in the cadenzas, when he controlled ebb and flow to create fantastical journeys.

Concertos are by nature contests between soloist and conductor/orchestra, but Friday's was somewhat more pitched than usual. Gutierrez's emoting did not seem to carry over the podium into the orchestra, which resulted in an interpretive tug-of-war, each side seeming to constrain the other.

When the two came together, as in the climax introducing the cadenza in the first movement, several sections of puckish interplay in the second, or the piano's bursting forth from the orchestra's build-up near the end of the fourth, the impact was exhilarating.

Throughout, guest conductor Jahja Ling challenged the orchestra, urging the strings for more precision, pushing for more power from the brass, working for control, clarity, and balance. It all seemed to jell most fully in the symphony, with conductor and orchestra collaborating well from beginning to end.

Honolulu Symphony presented its season opener as a gala affair: outdoor dining and a cafe, a hula troupe welcoming the audience, an introductory chant by Kalena Silva and the Honolulu Symphony Chorus leading the audience in singing the "Star Spangled Banner" and "Hawai'i Pono'i," musicians' photos in the program to make it easier for the audience to identify soloists, and a new format for its before-concerts talks.

Hosted by Honolulu Symphony Foundation Chair Lynne Johnson, assisted by University of Hawai'i, Manoa, Music Department chair and composer Donald Womack, Friday's talk presented a new emphasis on discussing the music.

When asked what makes Tchaikovsky distinctive, Womack immediately cited what he calls "earworms" (melodies you can't get out of your head): "Tchaikovsky could spin a great tune — you'll definitely leave the hall humming."

Few 20th-century composers admitted even to listening to Tchaikovsky, and if they did, it was followed with justifications about his inventive orchestration, counterpoint, or technical prowess — it was never for the sheer enjoyment of luxuriating in stunning melodies, which is the main reason audiences so love him.

Writing a great melody requires something beyond skill, and if you think it's easy— try it. Professional composers labor for years without finding one, and amateurs who hit upon one become millionaires. Of the many thousands of pieces composed every year, only a very few turn out to be memorable. Of those, even fewer endure past the year's end — and the quality of their melodies has a great deal to do with it.

Tchaikovsky produced scores of some of the most memorable melodies ever penned, and his popularity has endured through more than a century of critical disdain.

Never underestimate the power of melody.