I noticed in college that a large number of computer & math geeks also had musical proficiency. Bach especially appeals to the rational mind.

Cross-reference this to the Paglia thread on male/female personality stereotypes.

By the way, are you in the mood for the Liszt Funerailles, the Mephisto Waltz, and more, as played by the Great One? All together, ending with Funerailles and Mephisto, at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5l8xfussjU

Another favorite pianist, Alicia De Larrocha: Granados — “The Lady and the Nightingale” at 8:18:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1a9fQ4nKck

also de Falla, Nights in the Gardens of Spain…Aahhh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1a9fQ4nKck

Grew up with Guimar Novaes’ recording, also beautiful….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr0oQ_EoOnk

You gave a link to the Suite for Two Pianos with Agerich- thanks for that- that is one I had not seen before. There is, of course, a quite famous video on YouTube of Agerich playing the 3rd Piano Concerto from 1982 that stuns me every time I hear it. I grew up with a cassette of the that concerto played by Horowitz with Ormandy and the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, but the Agerich version from 1982 is superior, and I didn’t think that possible.

Argerich & Friere — Rachmaninoff, Second Suite for Two Pianos, Part 1/3 (2/3, 3/3 in sidebar or playlist)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daakjUIeX84&list=PLbKCZQ30ZHeNdDOlCJvcbTVGUCy1yNelh

I don’t know what your graduate degree is in, but you should have stayed home and become a concert pianist instead of going to grad school! Especially if you were able to develop a technique that let you play Rach. at all!….

Seriously, though, I hope you’ve been happy with whatever you ended up doing. :>)

I had not one but two callings. My mother trained at Conservatory to be a concert organist (and ended up teaching piano and being our church organist and choir director) and my dad was trained as an operatic tenor. (He had a beautiful, lush voice. Similar to the tenor Richard Tucker, if you know of him.) Anyway, I desperately wanted to be a concert pianist. But at the age of seven I figured out I was never going to be Horowitz. And Mother was busy looking after all of us and teaching to put biscuits on the table, so I was “the shoemaker’s child who went without shoes,” meaning she taught me, but not in the necessary intensely focussed way. [My other calling turned out to be math, … bachelor’s, master’s, went on to program and be a Mom…so that didn’t work out as planned either, but as Mom used to say to me often, “Many are called but few are chosen.” THEY (my folks, *g*) wanted me to be a classical soprano. Well, I did have a good voice, and I loved singing, but if I’d become a singer I’d have wanted to be a lounge singer, like Julie London. LOL]

I did manage the “Bells of Moscow” (you probably know, Rachmaninoff said he hated to give concerts because they always made him play the damn thing as an encore. *g* –I think that’s in Harold Schoenberg’s book), at least sort of. And I worked and worked at the G-m prelude, but I just couldn’t quite get there. But that haunting middle section…always made me think of some sort of celestial spirits singing far off in the mist in the hills….

But I do love music, and above all piano.

Agree, the B-m Prelude is beautiful. Agree, they all are. So I’ve been indulging myself all evening. I’ve been mining YT, so if you like….

Horowitz — G-m Prelude, Op. 23 #5, NYC, 1981
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB_mNGFFrcI

Rachmaninoff, allegedly playing it himself (dispute about that in the comments)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8RyWFA7PSY

Horowitz — Op. 32, #5 in G-M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TAYfxgGNUk

Horowitz — Rach., Sonata #2, B-m
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaLkpDrdifc

Argerich & Friere — Rachmaninoff, Second Suite for Two Pianos, Part 1/3

Both books of Preludes give me chills, and especially this one. Do you play? I don’t have the technique for the real virtuoso pieces, but there are a few … The Op. 23 #4, D-M, that I used to play a lot…. Oh, they’re all wonderful. Naturally Horowitz is terrific in the 3rd Concerto and the Bb-m Sonata…the best recording I’ve heard of the 2nd Concerto is Rubenstein’s … Ormandy’s E-m Symphony…The Suite for 2 pianos, Argerich & Friere….

Heh. For Change of pace, Horowitz in the Prokofiev Toccata. Wow! And “Big Scriabin,” D-m Etude IIRC. I struggled womanfully with that one, but let’s face it, Horowitz I ain’t. :>)

Another favorite — Richter playing Op. 23 No.7, C-m.

Oooops –Rachmaninoff and Stokowski, 2nd Concerto…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddTVZy-ZwVI — Restored as a labor of love, see the description….

I am glad we share this passion, Yancey. Thank you for telling me.