Classical music is so serious.

This was my thought at a recent concert of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. No one in the chorus was smiling. No one had a sparkle in their eyes. Expressions were very serious. The irony was, they were singing the "Ode to Joy". Is this how Beethoven meant for his 9th to be sung?

I can only imagine the rigorous training and intense competition involved in becoming a classical singer. I have utmost respect for our city’s classical musicians. I honor the art of music and the richness that it brings to our lives. Yet I remain feeling a bit empty sometimes at the seriousness of it all.

My mind floats back to the glory days of Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. A beloved figure in Boston for over 50 years, he was a joyful spirit. He deliberately kept his performances informal, light, even self-mocking, all in the spirit of being inclusive and having a good time with the music. The whole idea of The Boston Pops vs. The Boston Symphony was to have more fun, to be more playful. His free outdoor concerts were wildly popular and are now memorialized in an outdoor statue of his likeness. I believe it was Arthur Fiedler’s fun-loving nature coupled with his genius that made him so special.

More recently, the very successful Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu, is the direct opposite of serious. In his Johann Strauss Orchestra the singers smile and laugh, blatantly expressing joy. I love him for this. It’s clear he requires his ensemble to be jubilant, to have their spirits soar as high as the music; the music matching the people creating it. They wear bright colors rather than the traditionally heavy-spirited black. He jumps around on stage with his 1667 Stradivarius violin (a violin protected almost as heavily as our president). It’s classical music coupled with joy – a winning combination.

Lastly I always come back to Mozart, the ultimate genius with the raucous sense of humor. His music is pure joy. It’s happy music. I use it if I’m ever sad or depressed, letting the uplifting melodies soar through my home. Even his operas, The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutti, The Magic Flute, are full of lightness and comedy.

To me classical music is a beautiful thing, an emotional experience. I left that 9^th symphony in tears because it touched me so deeply. Yet I want to say to those who brought it to me: “Lighten up. Let the joy you bring to us, fill you as well. Let it then come back to us multiplied, filling the concert hall to the brim.” How amazing that would be!