A couple of weeks ago I told my two young duo students that they were in a terrific position to do a bang-up job on the Rachmaninoff Waltz they are studying. They thought I was crazy.

Today I let them rehearse on their own. I kept hearing laughter, not complaints or groans. There were errors, but there was laughter.

That is the point: this maddening work, full of on-purpose wrong notes and very difficult rests (!) is hilarious. If it isn't, well....