The Classical Gabfest podcast featured a classical March Madness this week, so I decided to play along. My result is at the bottom of this post.

Anyone who knows my taste in music will tell you that my favorite composer is Beethoven/Wagner/R. Strauss; it varies from time to time as I love all three of them for similar and different reasons. So when they go head to head, the result is apt to vary depending on my mood. Right now I’m still basking in the recent Beethoven anniversary celebrations, especially since they were cut short by Covid.

Looking at the form that the Classical Gabfest folks created, I can’t help but wonder where is Chopin? Where is Liszt? Where is Humper— Oh, ok, no need to get carried away. But Purcell? Vivaldi? Really?

Most of my picks probably need no explanation, except probably the matchup between Bartók and Stravinsky. Since you can’t pick none of the above, I made my own rule and added a substitute: Janáček. I mean, why not? And, of course, I corrected the transliteration of Chaikovsky’s name.

Gven my current mood, Beethoven reigned supreme. At some other time perhaps Wagner or Strauss would have won.