The Musiker from Maastricht

After years of following his PBS performances and admiring the joyful transference that occurs between the Maestro and his audience, I finally had the opportunity to see André Rieu perform live in concert. Despite the size of the crowd, the atmosphere felt more intimate, much like old friends gathering for a musical evening. I had soon forgotten myself, my surroundings, all of my misfortunes. I was suddenly back in Vienna and so happily in love with the music! Nothing else mattered. I saw genuine enchantment in his face, reflecting the pleasure of musicianship in sharing these beloved compositions. His 1667 Stradivarius violin was all the more striking for Franz Lehár's Silber und Gold Walzer, the very piece that secured his passion for Viennese music. My smile is endless when I see him take up his instrument. And heaven be praised, he never forgets Mozart! He certainly doesn't please purists with his presentational style, but that was never the idea.

Rieu's convivial disposition and comedic antics, his dialogue concerning the music itself, and his sincerity about bringing this music to the fore was gracious. At one point during the performance, he recalled attending a classical concert as a child in Maastricht. How joyful the music was to his ears, but how cold the hearts of the people, how rigid, how unreflective of the melodies! He set out to remedy this offense when founding his Johann Strauss Orchestra at the age of 29 and now, in 2009, he's celebrating his 30th year with a worldwide tour. He inspires us to enjoy the music, which is exactly what we forget to do amidst analysis and criticism. He aims to do what I aspire to achieve professionally. That is, to remove the elitist stigma from the genre and create awareness of the music's purposeful existence which is benevolence and joy for all, not an exclusive constituency. Click here for excerpts from André Rieu: Live in Vienna. I'll close with an excerpt from Dr. Alexander Weinmann's notes from the 1962 album Creampuffs from Vienna: Rare Old Vienna Dances with the Boskovsky Ensemble.

"Dance, a musical form that has adorned life from the earliest times, holds a prominent place in Viennese tradition. It is an engaging expression of a people's life, polished with high artistry, that's intertwined with the heart and mind and music of other peoples. It has the spark of eternal life and can be savored affectionately today. The notes loosen and blossom forth into treasures of melody and rhythm, with a sweet and bitter intimacy, with roaring furiosos that alternate with profound melancholy and pungent impudence. A bygone time comes to mind, clear and uncontaminated."

Alles Walzer!
Sherry