So it'd been a while and I ran out and listened to the following, recording my visceral reactions:
Op. 17 No.4 (performed by Horowitz) - pretty, no "connection". I'd probably play it in the background during a nice dinner party.
Op. 33 No.2 (Horowitz as well) - entertaining but not beauteous to me, sounds like background music for old movies before "talkies". No "connection".
Op.24, No.1 (Zimerman) - pretty, I could see this being the music for a pre-talkie film of a world's fair. It's a bit downbeat for a dinner party. No connection.
Op. 63, No.3 (Zimerman) - pretty, I'd probably enjoy playing this one for some reason. I like the ornamentation this the best so far. No connection. I'd play it at a dinner party.
Op. 68, No.2. (Rachmaninoff) - pretty, I feel like this captures the Polish folk origin of the form the best. I listened to a few different performances of this one actually since I like old folk music and I like Rachmaninoff's interpretation the best. No particular connection. I'd probably play this in the background while doing something else.
Overall, I can appreciate the music mentally. But it just doesn't push any particular emotional buttons. I suspect that for a couple of them, 63.3 and 68.2 if somebody would just play them straight out like a proper Mazurka and stick to a hard meter it might come close.
Again, nothing wrong with these. I'm not placing any value judgement on Chopin. I'm just not "tuned" to him I guess. I enjoy Bach quite a bit more. But even plenty of "newer" things like some of the Paganini piano variations, or some very modern Copland (Hoedown does it almost everytime), and especially Holst (Jupiter has long been a huge favorite in this way).
