A Tribute To Andre Rieu

A versatile violinist and spirited conductor, Andre Rieu capitalized on his classical music training and natural charisma to successfully recreate the uplifting atmosphere of the nineteenth-century Viennese dance halls for twentieth-century audiences worldwide. Rieu's unique classical style evolved around the notion that the audience must be involved in order to appreciate the music. Although the inspiration for his innovative musical presentations reached back over 100 years, his style was frequently categorized as "crossover" music because it combined the revered scores of the classical composers with a more informal performance atmosphere characteristic of popular music.

Rieu was born in 1950 in Maastricht, Holland. His father conducted the Limburg Symphony Orchestra of Holland and the Leipzig Opera. Classical music permeated the Rieu household, and the Rieu children were well versed in the works of the great composers. Rieu and his numerous siblings were heavily involved in musical training. Each displayed some talent and learned to play an instrument. Rieu himself developed into an accomplished violinist. As his understanding and appreciation of music grew, he developed a special fondness for the rhythms of the great Viennese waltzes. The waltzes, he maintained, stirred his emotions and created euphoria, so it was natural that he would devote his career to that style of music.

Rieu attended the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. After graduation he played in various Dutch symphony orchestras, including a term with the classical Limburg Symphony. Despite his appreciation and love for classical music, he grew increasingly disenchanted by the orchestral environment so familiar to his upbringing. He developed a dislike for the stiff and formal format that created a chasm between the performers and the audience. Rieu's frustration over the classical music format inspired him to assemble an orchestra of his own choosing and to seek his own method of presentation. He began to encourage ausience participation

During the late 1980s, Rieu recorded with a variety of instrumental groups of his own selection, among them the Maastricht Salon Orchestra. During those early years he engrossed himself in conducting music and playing his violin. He was shy on stage and conversed rarely with the audience. As a result his performances took the traditional bent that he disliked so much, yet Rieu continued his efforts to remove the emotional distance that alienated the audience from the music and from the musicians. In search of a resolution, Rieu turned to the tradition of Johann Strauss II who is universally acknowledged as the King of the Waltz. Strauss, a violinist like Rieu, habitually performed facing his public; he created a festive atmosphere for his listeners, and encouraged them to dance and to enjoy each waltz. During a 1996 interview with Scott Simon for National public Radio, Rieu called the waltz stehgeig, a slang term that describes when a piece of music is assimilated totally into the performance medium. Rieu restructured his own performances according to the Strauss prescription, and quickly met with success.

Rieu's live concerts attract a spectrum of fans, typically ranging in age from 16 to 65 years old. Members of the audiencecan be seen in any manner of attire, from formal black tie , to T-shirt and tennis shoes. Rieu himself dresses in tails and wears his hair long. The Johann Strauss Orchestra, also dress elegantly, appear to enjoy every moment of each performance. Rieu's warm demeanor habitually sets the audience to tapping its collective feet, if not dancing in the aisles outright. Rieu is not himself a dancer; he does not waltz and prefers it that way. Regardless he captured and held the interest of the mainstream public with his classical music repertoire, a feat accomplished by only a very few artists. Rieu's phenomenal success is not an accident; he is considered an excellent conductor, a talented violinist, and a great showman. According to Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Rieu's performances are demanding and require hard work, " to sustain the illusion of spontaneous fun." Critics concur that Rieu's handsome face considerably enhances his talent and personal charm. Rieu in turn rejects any attempt to dissect his popularity. He attributes his success to the entire "package" of his performance and presentation.

Critical comparisons have likened Rieu to countless notable personalities but rarely become tiresome because of the extensive diversity. In a single breath the Boston Globe compared Rieu to singer Tom Jones, leading man Mel Gibson, swing band leader SpikeJones, fictional muscle man Conan the Barbarian, and the flamboyant pianist Liberace. The Los Angeles Times called Rieu the "Pied Piper of light classical music." Comparisons with television band leader Lawrence Welk also apply. The tongue-in-cheek nicknames bestowed upon Rieu vary drastically, from "waltzmeister" to the "schmaltz of waltz," while few refute the de facto appellation "New Waltz King," an allusion to his predecessor, Johann Strauss II.

####An important update: Andre will be performing in the wachovia arena [Wilkes-Barre, Pa.] in May of 2009