We live in a very silly world. We’ve watched Republican primary candidates quote from the Pokémon movie, a former Poet Laureate get beaten by police while protesting the excesses of our greediest fat cats, and an eleven year old get touted as Opera’s Next Big Star (before damaging her vocal cords, of course). Reality TV shows now feature  psychological disorders (“Hoarders”) and taxidermists (I can’t make this up – it’s called “American Stuffers”), and even the History Channel has succumbed to airing programs about ancient aliens. In a world like this, sometimes it seems that the only thing anyone can do is laugh. And — contrary to conventional wisdom — even the greatest composers of the most breathtaking, serious works could not suppress their musical giggles.

Perhaps the most famous musical punch line comes from Joseph Haydn, father of the symphony as we know it. There is a famous story that recounts the German Haydn’s frustration at his British audiences’ tendencies to fall asleep during the slow movements of his symphonies. As a bit of revenge, Haydn wrote the second movement of his Symphony no. 94 with the express design to lull the audience off before awakening them with a crash. This is Janos Ferencsik and the Hungarian State Orchestra playing the ‘Surprise’ movement, though if you have the chance to listen to Marc Minkowski’s 2010 recording, do so immediately. He adds several surprises that add to the joyful, slightly devilish mood that Haydn so perfectly created.

The ‘Surprise’ Symphony proved to be such a hit that Haydn was able to make another joke out of it, this time in his oratorio The Seasons. Right at the beginning of the piece, a countryman is heard singing along to the Surprise Symphony’s melody — quite a bit of mileage for a piece designed as a prank.

Composers did not limit their musical tittering to audiences, of course: the nineteenth-century master Claude Debussy, with demented glee, took a bit of a pot-shot at Richard Wagner in his piano piece “Golliwog’s Cakewalk.” Wagner, whatever else he may have been, was a musical genius, and the harmonies he used in his compositions were absolutely groundbreaking. However, he also had a rather high view of his own importance in the grand scheme of things, and Debussy couldn’t resist putting in a small joke at the composer’s expense. At 1:10 in this video (performed by Scott Price), the theme from the opening of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde can be heard, followed by what can only be described as a piano chuckling.

My favorite, however, is a piece that does not use laughter to poke fun at anything; instead, the laughter is a reaction to being filled with joy. George Frideric Handel, a composer I truly believe has no equal when it comes to writing joyful music, wrote an English-language oratorio, L’Allegro, il penseroso e il moderato in 1740. In the air with chorus “Haste, thee nymph,” both the soloist and chorus are overcome with laughter. The result is what may be the most delightful piece of music I have ever heard (performed by John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists):

In a world where things seem to be getting more and more ridiculous by the day, sometimes it’s best to just sit back and laugh at everything. From practical jokes to jabs in the side to pure, unbridled glee, laughter has been central to music for hundreds of years, and I sincerely hope that is not forgotten in the years to come.

Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez is one of the most popular works written for the guitar (in this case, with orchestra), popularized in part by Miles Davis’s hauntingly atmospheric tribute to it in Sketches of Spain. Rodrigo wanted the concerto to conjure up ”the fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds, and the gushing of fountains” in the gardens of Aranjuez, a town just south of Madrid. The second movement adagio is shrouded in mystery; for some listeners, it may bring to mind the music Morricone wrote for those Sergio Leone spaghetti Westerns.

The Cádiz-born Manuel de Falla (1876 – 1946) is perhaps Spain’s best-known and most revered composer (you know a composer has rank when a country puts him or her on its money!).  Among his most captivating works are the ballet El amor brujo (Love the Magician), which includes the fearsomely sensual “Ritual Fire Dance,” and the no-less seductive Noches en los Jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain) for piano and orchestra.

The great French composer Olivier Messiaen called Isaac Albéniz’s Iberia “the masterpiece of Spanish music.”  Composed of four books of music for solo piano, Albéniz’s genius requires no less brilliance from the work’s performers — it is, in fact, one of the hardest works in the repertoire. For the listener, it’s an entirely different and irresistible experience, a beguiling dance- and song-inspired audio guide to some of the country’s most beautiful places.

Iberia is the name of another famous work celebrating the magic of Spain, but this time, the composer is Frenchman Claude Debussy.  Like a tourist who appreciates the beauty of a place even more than the sometimes jaded native, Debussy captures the exotic glories of his country’s next-door neighbor with a dazzling three-panel fresco of audio paintings for orchestra. Local color is immediately apparent with the dancing, castanet-led “Par les rues et par les chemins” (“In the Streets and By-ways”), which opens the triptych. Part Two, “Les Parfums de la nuit” (“The Fragrance of the Night”), is sexy, moon-lit and hypnotic. The woozy brass at the end of  the ”Le matin d’un jour de fete” (“The Morning of the Festival Day”) suggests the aftermath of alcohol-assisted reverie.

Iberia, by the way, is the central part of a larger work by Debussy called Images.  The opening movement of the latter (“Gigues”) looks north to England and Scotland for its inspiration; the final movement, “Rondes de Printemps” (“Spring Rounds”), which borrows from a couple of French folk songs, is more of a home-grown affair.  Neither of those other countries did so well at the World Cup (understatement in the case of France), but that’s no reflection on Debussy’s magnificent achievement.

But the past two years have been different, and thanks to the generosity of my family I’ve spent two consecutive Christmases in the Dominican Republic.   I could go on and on about how fun my family is to spend time with, and how incredibly funny and loving they all are.  They really understand that life is about having a good time and enjoying each other’s company.  That’s not a very difficult thing to do at a place like the Sanctuary resort in Cap Cana, where our daily regimen consisted of a lavish breakfast buffet, hours lying in the sun on a beachside lounge, lunch and afternoon drinks by the pool, a brief pre-dinner cocktail party, and then a big family meal either at one of the restaurants at the resort or at the nearby beach club or marina.  The Cap Cana area is one of the “up and coming” resort areas of the D.R., and the resort itself is breathtaking in every way.  The landscaping was impeccable and lavish, the buildings meant to capture high colonial Spanish style.  And of course, there’s the beach itself and that brilliant, shimmering blue of the Caribbean Sea.  The picture here can only hint at the overwhelming sensation of warmth that envelops you as you look out over the water to the horizon.

The view from the beach at the Sanctuary in the Dominican Republic

In the old days I would always travel with a bag of CDs or even cassettes (yes, I’m THAT old) because having the right music around when you’re on the road is crucial to setting the mood.  You really can’t fully comprehend the eloquence of Elgar until you hear the finale of his mighty First Symphony blazing in your ears as you stand at the center of a buzzing Trafalgar Square.  But oh, the iPod – how did we live without it?  After loading a few special Christmas selections beforehand, I was fully ready this time for a week on a tropical island.  Along with jazz classics like Getz/Gilberto, I had a handful of classical titles on my playlist, which I list here for those either lucky enough to be heading to a beach in the coming weeks, or cold enough to be looking for a little (and virtual) escape to a tropical paradise.

Debussy: La Mer and Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (Bernard Haitink with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra on Philips Classics)

La Mer is the most beautiful musical depiction of the sea ever written. The light reflecting on the water, the wind whipping up the surf, the awesome power of the ocean – all of this comes to life in this three-movement masterpiece.  And if there’s a more relaxing way to spend ten minutes than listening to the Prelude of a Faun under a gently swaying palm tree I would like to know what it is!

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And here is something to whet your appetite (this is from a performance of by Valery Gergiev and the London Symphony Orchestra).

Ravel:  Daphnis et Chloé (Myung-Whun Chung conducting on DG)

This “ballet for orchestra” is Ravel’s most lavish score, a love story between a Shephard (Daphnis) and a Shephardess (Chloé) set in the Greek Isles, complete with a  kidnapping by Pirates, an appeal to the God Pan, and a final ecstatic dance of celebration.  The stunning “Daybreak,” featuring chirping birds and glistening waterfalls, is one of the most glorious and rapturous moments in all of music.

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Rimsky-Korsakov: Sheherazade (Charles Mackerras conducting the London Symphony Orchestra on Telarc)

This five-movement symphonic suite is a musical magic carpet ride to Arabia and the world of the 1001 Nights.  It’s a dazzling score with beguiling Oriental flavorings, depicting episodes from the tales of adventure related by Sherharazade,as she uses her master story-telling skills to save her life from the the bitter Persian King whom she beguiles and ultimately marries.

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Xuefei has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs, including a successful performance at the BBC Proms, and an interview for “Woman’s Hour” on BBC Radio 4. In 2009 Xuefei performed at the Brit Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Xuefei was the subject of a documentary by CCTV in China.

1. A few works of classical music that you adore:

There are too many to list, but some of the many that come to mind include Dvorak’s New World Symphony; Bach’s Cello Suites; Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto; Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp; Debussy’s Claire De Lune number Three; and most of Chopin’s music.

2. Classical music recordings that you treasure:

Again there are many I could list. A few that come to mind immediately include Jacqueline du Pre’s recording of Elgar’s Cello Concerto; Rostropovich’s recordings of Bach’s Cello Suites; the album John Williams Plays Spanish Music; Together by John Williams and Julian Bream; The Complete Guitar Recordings by Agustin Barrios

3. Favorite non-classical musicians and/or recordings:

I like all sorts of music, not just classical. For example, I enjoy listening to the Beatles, Pat Metheny, Edith Piaf and Charlie Parker. I like listening to the sound track of Black Orpheus by Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Carlos Jobim. I am also amazed by the Meeting of Spirits live performance by Paco de Lucia, Larry Coryell and John McLaughlin. Recently I have been listening to Portuguese Fado music; a particular favorite is the singer Mariza. I also enjoy the Cuban music of the Buena Vista Social Club.

4. Music that makes you cry – any genre:

Many pieces make me cry. Certain sections of all the music I listed in answer to question 1 can make me cry. I also get moved to tears when I perform some pieces, for example the slow movement of Rodrigo’s Concerto De Aranjuez, or Tarrega’s Recuerdos de la Alhambra.

5. Definitely underrated work(s) or composer (s):

For guitar, I think the works of Giulio Regondi (a nineteenth century composer and guitar prodigy), and Silvius Leopold Weiss (a prolific composer, great lute player, and a contemporary of Bach) are underrated.

6. Possibly overrated work(s) or composer (s):

In my opinion, some of the sonatas in the guitar repertoire are over rated. Sometimes guitarists play sonatas just for the sake of playing longer pieces. However I think the piano and violin, for example, have many great sonatas to choose from. The fact is that there are very few truly good sonatas for guitar. However, there are many wonderful pieces in smaller form for the guitar.

7. Live music performance (s) you attended – any genre – that you’ll never forget:

The first time I heard John Williams play live in China, when I was still a teenager. He played the Spanish repertoire and the music stayed with me. Most recently, I recall a concert by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Bernard Haitink in Beijing’s new National Centre. It was so memorable to hear one of the world’s best orchestra’s with a great conductor, playing in the new magnificent hall in my home town of Bejing. I also got the chance to shake hands with the conductor following the concert.

8. A few relatively recent films you love:

I enjoyed seeing the movie Mamma Mia, starring Meryl Streep. I also enjoyed watching Notting Hill, starring Julia Roberts. I saw that movie three times. I also enjoy the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, starring Yun-Fat Chow, and directed by Ang Lee. As a Chinese person, I think this movie has greater meaning to me, as the English sub-titles do not really convey the subtlety of meaning that is present in the Chinese dialogue.

9. A few films you consider classics:

Some of my favourite include the movie Somewhere in Time with Jane Seymour. I also like The Ladykillers with Peter Sellers, and It’s a Wonderful Life with James Stewart. The Pianist by Roman Polanski. Knowing about the history and culture of China, I am also deeply moved by the movie Fairwell my Concubine with Kaige Chen.

10. A book (or two) that is important to you (and why):

My diary! Many books have influenced me at different times and in different ways, but the one constant companion is my diary. I play many concerts all over the world, and need to have a close eye on my calendar.

11. Thing(s) about yourself that you’re most proud of:

I am most proud of the fact that I have been given the opportunity in life to enjoy music, and bring music to people around the world. It is a great privilege.

12. Thing(s) about yourself that you’re embarrassed by:

I get embarrassed if I am having a bad day performing on-stage.

13. Three things you can’t live without:

Music, my guitar, and my computer.

14. “When I want to get away from it all I…”

Take myself shopping! I also like to stay at home, read magazines, and put on some music.

15. “People are surprised to find out that I…”

am quite lively and humorous. Many people seem to expect a Chinese person to be more serious and demure.

16. “My favorite cities are…”

I love the history, architecture, romanticism and culture of Paris and Granada. I love the bustle, the food, and the mix of East and West that you can find in Hong Kong.

17. “I have a secret crush on…”

dogs – particularly golden retrievers, but I can’t keep one as I travel a lot.

18. “My most obvious guilty pleasure is…”

Leaving my guitar in its case for a couple of days, and having a break from practice.

19. “I’d really love to meet (or to have met)…”

The guitarist Segovia would be on my list as he was probably the person who established the guitar as a concert instrument. I would also love to meet the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, as I love the cello, and his music. The composer Isaac Albéniz would also be on my list as I am going to record his music this summer.

20. “I never understood why…”

I always try to have a clear answer to any question I am asked. I am realizing more and more that there isn’t always a simple answer to all questions, and that finding an answer is not always the way to deal with life. Music can help provide some meaning and light for these darker corners in our life.

BONUS QUESTION:

21. Question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer to that question):

Q: Would you like to come and perform in The White House?

A: Yes !

Complied and edited by Albert Imperato. For permission to post or print this interview write to aimperato@21cmediagroup.com.