ANDRE RIEU: THE WORLD'S GREATEST MUSICAL SHOW BELONGS TO HIM!

By Maximillien de Lafayette lafayette@monthlyherald.com

Contributors & Additional data: Andre Rieu Fans web. Le Violon Magique (Ms Martine), Maestro Rieu's official biography and official site.

 

Maestro Andre Rieu is unquestionably the world's greatest living musical legend. This man is immortal! Today, in the entire world, Maestro Rieu is the only violinist, musician, composer, director, conductor, star, stage set designer, entrepreneur and musical genius who through his music, can simultaneously captivate an 89 year old man or woman and a 6 year old child and make them stand on their toes, dance in sync, go crazy, explode, sing along and have the best time of their lives. Although, he was classically trained and was brought up in a traditional/classical music family and milieu, Grand Maestro Rieu knew that "conservative" and traditional classical musical concerts will not stimulate and captivate everybody. Thus, he invented the most delightful, innovative and successful musical and entertainment formula to please and tease, to capture and mesmerize the world's largest musical audience and people from all walks of life,  all nationalities, all ages and ethnic backgrounds. He brought animated musical life to classical music. He created a tempo which preserved the dignity and majesty of classical music and in the same time, it revived the austerity of classicism with rhythmic virtuosity, multidimensional flairs and caches of world music encompassing waltz, ballads, arias, folk, contempo, quasi-march, dance and entertainment music. His show is a rainbow of one million musical colors of all styles, genres and feelings blended together with grace, style, class, beauty, warmth, vitality, rhythm, rich brass section, magnificent arrangements for violins, nostalgic  and celestial orchestration for piccolo, flutes, harps, cellos, marimbas and even cimbaloms! This most creative innovative musical virtuosity appeals to an extremely large audience around the world. In addition, his mesmerizing and warm stage presence, his unusual and delightful sense of humour, the captivating stage set, the lighting design, the dresses, costumes and outfits of his musicians, his acrobatic high jumps and foot work on stage, his direct contact and rapport with the public, his sinfully appealing smile, brief pauses between notes, moderato-allegro-Napolitano-Milanese-Cambrese-Vienese-quasi Kosak-motion pictures grand musical scores, selection of tunes and songs transformed his concerts and shows into the world's richest, most varied, liveliest and most unusual musical and entertainment show of all time.  In my book, Andre Rieu is the best of the best in the business. La crème de la crème.  In other words, Grand Maestro Rieu is a living legend!

BUT WHO IS ANDRE RIEU?

His official biography tells us that Andre Rieu was born in Maastricht, Netherlands, in 1949. Had his first violin lesson at the age of 5. Studied at the Maastricht Academy of Music from 1968 to 1973 and the Brussels Academy of Music from 1974 to 1977. Won the Premier Prix at the latter in 1977. Joined the Limburg Symphony Orchestra as a violinist in 1978, staying until 1989. Formed the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987. Set up his own company, "Andre Rieu Productions". Won the World Music Award in 1996. First toured Japan in 2001.Andre Rieu, born into a large musical family. He  grew up surrounded exclusively by classical music, especially symphonies, chamber music and opera. Encouraged by his father, a professional conductor, Andre started taking violin lessons at the age of five, the beginning of a love affair that would never end. As as student at the conservatoire he was asked to take part in a salon ensemble and as he played his first waltz a whole new world opened up for him. Something overwhelming happened in the audience, people could simply not sit still; their feet tapped along to the rhythm of the waltz, bodies swayed back and forth, they softly hummed along with the melody. From that time on Andre was hooked on the waltzes' rhythm and began to dream of a large orchestra that would enchant its audience. After recruiting his own "Johann Strauss Orchestra" Andre first starts touring through the Benelux countries. With the release of "From Holland with Love" something happens in the Netherlands that no one would have thought possible: the "Second Waltz," by Shostakovich, triggers a waltz wave in the tiny country, and from there all over Europe and still further all over the world. From then on Andre Rieu has been crowned the "King of Waltz." Although the waltzes rhythm will continue to be the rhythm of his life, according to Andre your heart beats in three-four time, he and his orchestra play a lot more than waltzes these days. Andre's wish to make the whole of classical music accessible for everyone has undoubtedly come true. All over the world millions of people of all ages enjoy going to his concerts or listening to his music. His CDs offer us an excellent mixture of all sort of famous movie musical tracks, evergreens and well-known classical melodies- each and everyone of them a gem. His concerts  music appealing to all kind of people, young or old, European, American or Asian.

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