Some people mistakenly believe that the only purpose of music is to cheer people up or relax them. This is a rather superficial and ethereal misconception about music and art in general.
It is often said that art and music nourish the human soul. This is true. But it is the sustenance that creates the food, not the sweetening. Human beings, by nature, have a complexity of thoughts, emotions and feelings. The purpose of aesthetics is not to put one in a la-la happy land of fluffy bunnies, sunshine, and rainbows. It is to convey a message and create interaction between the artist and the listener or viewer. This can even include being provocative or dark. It includes everything it includes to communicate a message on an aesthetic level, which is the level closest to the human essence. The communication is true; goes deep; impinges; does not scratch the surface.
The point is not whether or not a piece of art or music creates joyful and uplifting moods. It is whether or not it communicates and causes interaction with the viewer or listener, thus imparting some kind of message. And this can query a variety of moods, tones, feelings, emotions, etc. But the thing is, whatever the mood, tone, feeling, emotion, etc., it’s all done on an aesthetic level, that higher level carrier wave that reaches into the human soul. THAT is what truly nourishes the human soul.
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique,” has a haunting melancholy that can deeply evoke the listener. It’s not some musical “comfort food” meant to lull you to sleep. The painting “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Hieronymus Bosch is not intended to be a piece of decoration like an armchair, an aquarium or a flower arrangement. It is meant to provoke thoughts and feelings, daring to tackle surreal and otherworldly themes. On the other hand, imagine a dramatic movie that portrays Jesus Christ calm and smiling during his crucifixion while he is impaled and bleeding. It would be pretty profound, not to mention ridiculous.
And a human being is not unfathomable. We are sophisticated, sentient and conscious beings. We are not superficial by our inherent true nature. However, some of us have been demeaned with false ideas perpetrated by our society in considering that we are. We are capable of a much higher level of communication and confrontation of life and the universe. And music, art, and other forms of aesthetics are means to help us rise to higher levels of existence.