Classical Music Goes Viral: Memeings and Meanings of Classical Music in the Wake of Coronavirus

Abstract

As a rich and diverse genre of digital folklore, memes are an integrated part of popular discourses on classical music. Memes provide communicative tools in everyday discourse on aesthetics, the historical canon, music theory, careers and professional life, among other things. During the coronavirus pandemic, classical music memes commenting on different aspects of the outbreak have provided insight into how online classical music communities meme and make sense (and nonsense) of the pandemic within a classical music framework. This article discusses classical music memes relating to the coronavirus in terms of newslore – that is, as folklore that comments on current events – and as a way to playfully expose knowledge of and stances towards different aspects of classical music, the global pandemic and the rules and recommendations of authorities. To conclude, the article suggests that a key function of these memes is their capacity to – in an often humorous fashion – blend together passed-down knowledge, competence and experience from the classical music world with extraordinary current conditions affecting people globally, acting both as social commentary and social safety valves. In doing so, they also uphold a widely held canon, functioning as a non-disputable doxa within the field.