Forced Mirth: An Exploration of the music from Zaide

Why is it often never enough for an authority to simply have a subordinate do what they request? Why does the subordinate have to have a good attitude as well?

My time in the army is a perfect example. Sighing, huffing, rolling eyes, then saying, 'Yes Drill Sgt.' (Or Sgt.) was as bad as not doing as ordered. A soldier is always to speak with motivation. With a sense of purpose. "YES, DRILL SERGEANT!!" Why was it never enough to simply do what I was told?

In the Army, I understood the value of morale. So, I guess it makes sense. Keeping spirits high spurs a survivalist mentality.

What about the authorities in your life that care about you? Why do they need a good attitude to accompany requests? "Don't you roll your eyes at me young lady." A ma or pa might say. Maybe, the caring authorities are deep down hurt or saddened by disrespect. In turn, those feeling convert to anger. Plus, a caring authority knows a bad attitude will do nothing to improve a miserable lot.


Exploring Mozart’s unfinished opera Zaide, such questions lead me to the opera’s opening piece, Brüder, lasst uns lustig sein. The music starts out vibrant, jovial. Not knowing any German, I’d say it was a happy song. Until I understood the context. The song is a slave chant. The some of the lyrics basically say, “Life it terrible for everyone, might as well be happy.”

So, why do these slave masters need to control mood as well as behavior? Sure, there is the element of respect. But, it that it. Tyrants just force glee for the sake of pride? How did such attitudes play out among Colloredo (Mozart’s boss), Leopold (Mozart’s father), and Mozart? Like two stallions and a gelding locked in a corral, Colloredo likely wanted to crush Leopold. Mozart was caught in the middle. Who was out for Mozart's best interest? No wonder why Mozart was likely long-faced during the Zaide period. All the while, voices were trying to 'make' him happy. Forced glee.

As I have listened over and over to the jovial slave chant, Psalm 137 came to mind. A powerful Psalms conveys raw, troubled emotions. 137 is a Psalm of captive people. Enraged with their captors. Sorrowed in their captivity. A people who use to delight in the sweetest music. Yet, the have hung up their harps. They refuse to sing in their misery. Then comes this interest passage:

"For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

Mirth? Happiness. The captors want them to sing happy songs. Why? Isn't it good enough that they behave? Can't they simply toil in misery? Why do their enemies want them to act 'happy'?

Is it a matter of pragmatism? Do happy slaves make good slaves? Maybe. But, can you really force anyone to be happy? And besides, in the opera Zaide, it is after Zaide and Gomatz find the thing that made them actually happy, that they became the most rebellious. It doesn't seem as if truly happy slaves would be the best slaves. Yet, there is still that need to force mirth.

Then, I thought of Nehemiah, a slave in his own right. One day, he was downcast in front of the king (not because of his lot). I remember hearing that even being downcast around the king, was punishable by death. Maybe, that is the key.

Who enjoys being around miserable people? Certainly not tyrants. Other people's misery tends to sap joy. Their misery requires effort... To listen. To not ignore. Or, even to ignore... It is a lot of work. What a hassle. And, don't domineering people dominate because they want to rid themselves of misery? Perhaps, it is easier to ignore people's problems when one is forcing them to put on a happy face.