This is a contest not just between two titanic composers, but a veritable struggle between the gods.

Of the two mighty artists who were born on this date, Johannes Brahms (b. 1833), the great classicist among Romantics, was wreathed by the laurels of Apollo’s ordered rationality, and Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky (b. 1840), ever heart-on-the-sleeve, was fueled by the wine of Dionysus’ emotional truth.

We pit these musical champions against one another in the arena of public opinion today on The Classical Network, as we humbly submit to the stern judgment of our listeners. And of course, we’re hoping to raise a little money in the process.

Which of these composer rates higher in your estimation?

So as to maintain balance and not to incur the wrath of any higher powers (since, historically, the gods have been poor losers), we are looking to divide the spoils. In our quest to attain a single-day goal of $7000, for this May 7, we are asking you to contribute, in whatever amount, toward $3500 for EITHER composer.

Subjectivity is akin to voting with the heart, which should appeal very much to Dionysus, yet balance will be achieved, which, as day follows night, would surely earn the approval of Apollo. After all, both composers have earned a place in the pantheon.

A highlight of today’s broadcast will be a special Noontime Concert, in which Brahms’ “Ein Deutsches Requiem” will be presented in its entirety, in a performance by the Princeton University Chapel Choir and Orchestra, under the direction of Penna Rose.

The concert, which took place last month, was dedicated to the memory of Professor Henry Stainken Horn, Princeton Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from 1966 to 2019. Professor Horn was a member of the Chapel Choir from 1990 until his passing.

In line with our Classical argument, the performance will be prefaced by a reading from Tennyson’s “Ulysses,” by Christopher Parton, a graduate student from Princeton’s music department. Professor Horn himself read the poem to introduce last year’s Milbank Memorial Concert.

Apollonian Brahms or Dionysian Tchaikovsky? If you simply cannot decide, why not hedge your bets and leave a little offering for both? Call us at 1-888-232-1212, or contribute online at wwfm.org (click on “donate”). Then join us for TEN HOURS of Brahms and Tchaikovsky, today from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT. Thank you for your support of WWFM – The Classical Network!

PHOTOS: Apollo and Dionysus and Brahms and Tchaikovsky – game on!