I Have to Wonder About This

Received from the New York Philharmonic:

NY Philharmonic Offers Discounted Tickets for the 2012–13 Season
One-Week Sale August 12–18;Box Office Opens August 19  

From August 12–18, in advance of the box office opening for the 2012–13 season, the New York Philharmonic will offer tickets for $69.50 with the purchase of three or more subscription concerts, up to 48% off regularly priced tickets. Fans of the Philharmonic on Facebook can access the sale early for one day only on August 10 (12:01 a.m. until midnight).  

Single tickets for the New York Philharmonic’s 2012–13 season go on sale August 19, and the season opens September 19, 2012, with a concert conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert with pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. 
Click here to explore the season and buy tickets. 

Reading between the lines, this means "tickets aren't selling so well so we are going to start discounting them a whole lot earlier than we ordinarily would."

Also reading between the lines, I conjecture that this means "this year's boring programming doesn't sell so well." Alan Gilbert, go back to your crazy programming ways!