Musical Madness 2026! Ravel, Stravinsky, Cziffra; all-20th Century Semifinals!

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Link to the form for voting: https://forms.gle/FtPQ8o482roWs6KN8

Pieces in the matches:
Cziffra - Fantasy on William Tell
Stravinsky/Agosti - The Firebird

Ravel/Gryaznov - La Valse
Stravinsky - Trois Mouvements de Petrouchka

Honorable mentions voting

Current bracket: https://challonge.com/musicalmadness26

Winners of the previous matchups: William Tell Fantasy, The Firebird, La Valse, and Petrushka. Full results are available on challonge.

This thread also doubles as the official discussion thread for this match and the results of the previous one.

Voting closes at 8:00 PM on April 2nd, 2026 (US Eastern time).

[the_franzliszt]

Unfortunately it comes down to the two Stravinsky pieces  . 

Honerable Mentions I chose were,
- Albeniz - Lavapies
- Liszt - Grand Fantasie de Bravoure sur la Chlochette
- Ravel - Scarbo

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Unfortunately it comes down to the two Stravinsky pieces  . 

Personally I went with William Tell (I just realized that the initials of it are "WTF" lmao) and Petrushka, though really either one of these matchup could go either way.

Honerable Mentions I chose were,
- Albeniz - Lavapies
- Liszt - Grand Fantasie de Bravoure sur la Chlochette
- Ravel - Scarbo

I picked around 1/3rd of the list lmao. Basically anything that I feel like would have advanced in an ideal world + some personal favorites (all four of your picks were ones that I also chose).

[thorn]

William Tell was written in 1829 so it's not an "all-20th century semifinal" though?

My honourable mentions are:
Granados Los Requiebros. It's harder than the Falla which got much further, but got pitted against Tannhauser in the outset. Also it's such a gorgeous piece that not many seem to know (so idk if it will get many votes)- basically Chopin if he were Spanish.

Albeniz Eritana. what was with Tiger Rag, honestly.

Messiaen VR 6. In a different matchup it would've been in the semifinal, for sure (likewise if the *actual* hardest piece of Catalogue d'oiseaux had been in this contest vs. a more approachable/popular one).

[gasplamey]

Why did ther S-S lose.
Went with Firebird and la Valsde.
HMs: Rach Op. 61 (its hareder than Feux FOll;ets imo but it lost first round) Hummel (great piece and almos tgimpossible but matched up with Firebid first round) Galop in Am (shouold have won at leasxt round 1)Le Preux (def shoudl have made it fuerthser) S-S 111/1 (rightvul winner of the whjole tournament). Also all Rach and Chopin.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

William Tell was written in 1829 so it's not an "all-20th century semifinal" though?

Cziffra's Improvisation was during the 1900s. Would it be fair to say that Liszt's S. 418 Reminiscences de Don Juan was written in 1787?

Why did ther S-S lose

I'd be extremely concerned if it won lmao.

[thorn]

Cziffra's Improvisation was during the 1900s. Would it be fair to say that Liszt's S. 418 Reminiscences de Don Juan was written in 1787?

They are both. I once saw a Japanese production of Othello where the director reimagined the scenario between Japanese and the native Ainu people in 1860s Japan. It's a 21st century production but the play is still Shakespeare's.

[gasplamey]

I'd be extremely concerned if it won lmao.

Peturshka is difficujlt but the S-S is ltieraly impossible to play correc tl it should have won.