IN the ballet "Tchaikovsky," a meditation on the life of Russia's most beloved composer, the emotional swell remains high.

Perhaps due to his mild social stance, beautiful melodies and gentle personality, Da Viola is probably the most beloved composer of traditional samba music in the second half of the 20th century.

But a beloved and important composer he surely was, and one who played a crucial role in the coming of age of American music.

It's difficult for any band to capture the essence of a beloved composer, and the spectacle of soloists' filing onstage one after another to grab one's attention becomes wearying.

"George Gershwin is one of America's most beloved composers; yet a lot of his output has never been recorded," the conductor says.

"Last night our great and beloved composer, Mr. Mozard arrived here from Vienna," the Prager Oberpostamtszeitung reported, misspelling the composer's name.

Its name was inspired by Pedro Morales Pino, one of the most beloved composers and musicians in Colombia.

Schubert is a beloved composer, but that love is based on a narrow slice of his large oeuvre.

The New York Philharmonic's six-part festival "Brahms the Romantic," which began in February, had all the earmarks of a re-examination of a beloved composer.

Still, there are limits: Altering the music of Tchaikovsky, probably this country's most beloved composer, would seem to exceed them.