Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no 2

[adariation]

I was looking into this piece, and am quite curious.
Why is it so underplayed?
And would it be a good concerto for competition

[thalbergmad]

The appeal of the first to the average concert goer is somewhat instantaneous.
The 2nd takes a while to get going and I understand is somewhat more difficult for the pianist.
If it wasn't for the 1st, it may well be played more often.

Thal