Classical music, that pure and refined art, always spiritually uplifting, right? Not so much, at least not when "Carmina Burana" takes the stage.

Even if the performances are heavenly, as was the case last night at Heinz Hall, Carl Orff's masterful setting of medieval texts by students and itinerant monks remains sensuous, ribald and funny. Combined with the thrill of pounding, primitive rhythms, the energetic music is an excellent break from the more serious (though wonderful) tone of most classical music.

While the audience revelled in the collective sonic boom that often was the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Mendelssohn Choir last night, we also learned more about music director Manfred Honeck. He too, has been billed as a conductor of the serious, purveyor of the pure and a religious person. But he has that particular Viennese trait to suddenly do an about-face to the lighter side, whether it be waltzes or even drinking songs.

Here, Honeck not only accentuated the dramatic elements of the music with dynamic shifts and accelerations from the famous "O Fortuna" onward, but he let his soloists -- soprano Celena Shafer, tenor Christopher Pfund, and baritone Hugh Russell -- act out their parts in a, well, liberated fashion.

I thought it worked well, from Pfund's personification of a swan being roasted on a pit to the flirting between Shafer and Russell in "The Court of Love." Russell sang with engaging lyricism and his stage training in the Pittsburgh Opera Center showed, but his diction was lacking.

That was not the case for the Mendelssohn Choir, trained by director Betsy Burleigh. Whether singing delicately or in full voice, the Latin, German and French lyrics came through. The ensemble was excellent, as the choir pushed the music forward with gusto. The only regrettable aspect was the decision by the PSO to forgo a boys chorus in favor of the sopranos singing several lines, which they did not do convincingly.

Imagine having to not only perform an instrument in front of thousands, but having to take it apart several times as you went along? That is the task of an oboist -- in order to clear condensation -- and PSO principal Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida managed this while offering up an exquisite performance of an oboe concerto attributed to Haydn.

Navigating precarious jumps with ease, nimbly articulating turns and runs and playing the second movement aria with luscious legato, DeAlmeida made one forget about authorship and just soak up the glorious playing. I also marveled at her moxie to go for pin-drop pianissimos in key moments. DeAlmeida proved again she is a first-rate oboist and also a compelling artist.

The concert opened with a performance of part of Walter Braunfels' "Te Deum," which the PSO will perform next season.

The program repeats tonight at 8 and tomorrow at 2:30.