By the time of his death in 1979, Arthur Fiedler had conducted the Boston" Pops Orchestra for fifty years — a record for a conductor. Fiedler was affectionately known to his masses of fans as "Mr. Pops" and as the man who had brought classical music to millions of Americans. His programs were a mix of classics (Beethoven), semi-classics (Stravinsky), show tunes, and pop songs. The Pops was the first classical orchestra to play a Beatles tune. Fiedler was often criticized for catering to lowbrow and middlebrow musical tastes, but he scoffed at such classical snobbery: "There's no boundary line in music. All-music is good except the boring kind." He enjoyed his public image as a crusty, lovable curmudgeon. "My aim has been to give audiences a good time," he once remarked. "I'd have trained seals if people wanted them." Fiedler came to the Boston...