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►Click on Photo To See and Hear Nightingale Serenade

Aug 26, 2011

André Rieu Maastricht 2011 in USA Theaters This September!

CinemaLive Presents ANDRÉ RIEU Captured LIVE in Maastricht
Coming to Cinemas Across The USA in September!

CinemaLive is delighted to announce they will deliver one of André Rieu’s annual concert series from his hometown of Maastricht, in The Netherlands, to his fans in the USA. The concert, which was broadcast to cinemas via satellite on 24th July in the UK, Ireland, Europe, Australia & New Zealand will now be seen by his adorning fans across America from SEPTEMBER 8TH onwards.
The renowned Dutch violinist and conductor is one of the world’s most successful touring artists and each year he performs a series of concerts in his hometown of Maastricht in The Netherlands. These concerts are André’s most popular with thousands of fans flying from all over the world to witness the incredible music event set amongst the dramatic backdrop of his beautiful hometown.
André and his famous Johann Strauss Orchestra perform together with the Harlem Gospel Choir, the Soweto Gospel Choir and Russian musicians, The St Petersburg Trio. Sir Anthony Hopkins is a special guest at the concert and has composed a Waltz titled, ‘And The Waltz Will Go On’ which will be performed.
André commented on the CinemaLive broadcast of his concert saying, "It fills me with great joy to be able to share my favourite concert of the year, live from my hometown in Maastricht with all of my friends around the world. It is going to be a magical evening with some very special guests. Come and enjoy the music on the big screen in the comfort of your local cinema."
Known for his energetic and festive live performances, André Rieu is affectionately known as the ‘King Of Waltz’ to his international audiences, with album sales of more than 30 million. In 2010, Rieu last year sold more concert tickets than any other male artist internationally.
For further information and participating USA Cinemas please visit: ANDRÉ RIEU Live in Maastricht 2011 USA! 

NOTE: The information we have been given so far is : Texas GA. and MI showings are on September 8th ... New York and Massachusetts showings on September 11 ... All other States showings are on September 13th. And ALL showings are for 7:00PM (except for Massachusetts and New York. They are at 1:00PM)

Aug 22, 2011

Second Screenings of André Rieu in UK Theaters

André Rieu 2011 In Maastricht

Following the success of our live screenings of André Rieu in July we would like to bring you another opportunity to see this wonderful concert. This recording of the original gives you a second chance to see André Rieu in his home town of Maastricht.
Affectionately known as the "King Of Waltz", André Rieu is well known to international audiences having sold 20 million CDs and DVDs worldwide. His performances have become legendary. An accomplished performer, André believes that classical music should be enjoyed by everyone.
Each year he performs a series of concerts in his hometown of Maastricht in The Netherlands. These concerts are performed in front of thousands of fans and set amongst the cultural backdrop of his beautiful hometown. As always, André is joined by his famous Johann Strauss Orchestra. The Maastricht concerts are André's most popular concerts of his yearly schedule with his most dedicated fans flying from all over the world to see this incredible event. For André Rieu, the annual concerts he gives at the Vrijthof in Maastricht are the high point of his concert schedule.
Don't miss this second chance to see the recording of André’s magical performance as he fills the night with breath-taking music ... Dates: 2/09/11, 4/09/11
Click on the link for all details: http://www.odeon.co.uk/fanatic/odeon-plus-information/m100287/Andr_Rieu_2011_In_Maastricht/ 

Aug 19, 2011

André Rieu Photo Book English Text!


BREAKING NEWS! For all fans who have bought the Photo Book, "The Man Behind The Phenominon"! ... Ineke wrote to The Rieu's asking permission to post the text from the book in English and she has just received a letter of permission from André Rieu Productions to Translate and Post the text in ENGLISH!! Click on the link to Ineke and Ruud's site and you'll see the translation of the book, page by page, that Ineke and John have translated for you ...  http://www.andrerieu-movies.com/Book_Phenomenon.html 

Aug 17, 2011

Become an "Official" André Rieu Photographer!

Become an "Official" André Rieu Photographer!
Sign up now for a chance to be selected as the “André Rieu Official Fan Photographer” at any of the upcoming U.S. or Canadian concerts.
As “André Rieu Official Fan Photographer", you will be given a brand new digital camera to take photos before and during the concert you are attending. After the concert, you will email your photos to us and we will put the best ones on the News page of André’s Web site  www.andrerieu.com  and the official André Rieu Facebook page  www.facebook.com/andrerieu. After the tour is over, one photo will be selected from all the concerts as “Best Photo.”
Here’s What You Get
You will receive a brand new Nikon Coolpix S3100 digital camera! In addition you will be given a pair of tickets for great seats at the concert, and a 2011 tour program signed by André Rieu! The photo chosen as “Best Photo” will be printed on canvas and sent to the photographer.
Go to André's Website to sign up now!

A 1994 Interview With André Rieu

ROYAL APPROVAL
August 15, 2011 by Els Smit: Looking back, you can say that 1994 was the year that André Rieu's Victory began. He had already been conducting concerts with his modest "Johann Strauss Orchestra" for the past six years. In 1993 they produced a record called: "The Blue Evening", recorded in the Casino in 's Hertogenbosch during a Carnival Saturday, containing songs like "Good Times, Bad Times," "Auld Lang Syne" and "Hop Marianneke, stroop in 't kanneke" (Hup Marianne, syrup in the can). "It's only one of the facets of what we do, you know," André told me back then.
In the meantime, he has now of course been honored. He won the World Music Award, an honor he shares with amongst others, Elton John, The Bee Gees, Prince, Luciano Pavarotti, Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. And he is a Knight in the (French) Ordre des Arts et des Lettres because he promotes and has made classical music popular around the world (and in France of course). In the Netherlands he has also received Royal approval. He has been a Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion since 2002.
In 1994, I Interviewed André for the Associated Press Services (SPD) following his unexpected rise in fame.
Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1829)
Just to have a nice evening together
Who would have thought it? Definitely not the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich. But it is a fact that his "Second Waltz", as performed by André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra, was a sales success of the first order in the Netherlands in 1994. Better yet, the CD which André produced is full of tunes by Strauss, Kalman, Lehar's, and was named by Radio 2 as "CD of the week". Operettas, the music of "Strauss and Co." as the CD is called, are reliving their second youth. Did Rieu expect that?
"Did not expect it at all, but had hoped it would." said André.
André Rieu has been involved with Viennese and turn of the century music for about eighteen years. Actually, ever since he was asked, while at the conservatory in Maastricht, to play in a Salon Ensemble. Coincidentally or not, that was also the time when he met his wife, Marjorie, who would let him listen to records with operetta music which her father had brought with him when he fled from Berlin.
Not that Rieu did not play any other music during his career. For ten years he was a violinist as part of the Limburg Symphony Orchestra. Yet throughout this time his greatest desire was to own his own ensemble with which he could play music of his own choosing.
Secure existence
Johann Strauss Jr. 1895 Poster
 "It is a matter of character. I did not like it too much to be told by a conductor how to play. I did not really like the atmosphere surrounding the orchestra, the board and all. It is fortunate that not everyone is like that. There are musician who do not mind being in such an orchestra their entire lives. That of course can be normal and is a safe existence.
"But that's not suitable for me. What has always bothered me was the atmosphere of sanctity that seems to be hanging around classical music. People come all dressed up for a concert and there they sit in the hall. There is an enormous gap between them and the orchestra. It is obvious that rarely a spark jumps between the musicians and the audience.
"I'm not someone with a mission, but if I had a message, I would like to see the gap between the two parties disappear. Just consider what happened around 1900, which was not so long ago. People were playing cards in the Concert building while music was being played. It was almost like as if someone from the card playing group would turn around and shout; "Can't you play that music a little softer?"
"That was the sort of culture in which Johann Strauss composed his music. And it was also being performed in dance halls, you could call them the disco's of that time. People came there to dance and jump to the music of Johann Strauss' Orchestra, where he stood in front as a stand-alone violinist. What is also important to know is, that the majority of his music was never composed for a symphony orchestra".
"I want to have his music sound just like then. Also on this CD. Only here and there did we change the tone to suit the ears of the people of today. So we added some strings and removed some brass, simply because our ears are more accustomed to strings. But the music we left untouched. We do not play one single note that was not written by the composers. This not only applies to Strauss, but is also true for the other composers on the CD: e.g. Shostakovich, Franz Lehar, Emmerich Kálmán".
Fast, yes of course
"Maybe some people say that we have our own interpretation of the works. However I would like to contradict that and suggest that I went to work as conscientiously as possible, that I want the music to sound just as I imagined the composers designed it. "Unter Donner und Blitz" we play that fast, yes, but I can not imagine a Strauss waltz with such a title was intended to be played lazily.
 "I notice it at our concerts, the approach to it is catching on. It is not only because of the music, but because of the entire package we offer. So we do not just run through all the songs in seconds, I narrate throughout the program and piece it together that way. Kind of cozy like, with a little fun. Together with my wife we write the text. Sometimes it is a strange experience to discover that the text you invented at home on the couch is doing so well in the hall".
"We propose only one thing, sparks must be flying over to the public. Everyone, the musicians, the people in the hall, everyone has to have the idea that together we are making this a nice evening. That as far as I am concerned is basically the intention of the music. Apparently people have a need for it. I notice that by the letters I receive and the number of attendees. They have increased incredibly in recent years.
"I'm not the only one who has noticed that. You'll notice that at the concerts of classical and semi-classical music, the halls are fuller. People are, as you may have gathered, hungry for real music.
Pavarotti
"How does that happen? Never because of one single item. It has to do with the times we live in and there are also a lot of musicians who have done an awful lot of real good work. Pavarotti for example, but also Nigel Kennedy. He dressed in his usual garb, not at all in tails and stood there and played that old music. Point blank, it's not all about the looks, but it is all about the music."
"It is widely understood. It's fantastic, as I recently experienced that in Heemskerk where a lady got up the nerve to approach me and said, "Mr. Rieu, may I look at your violin. I have heard so much music in my life but I have never seen a violin up close." "Something like that makes me just plain happy."
On March 26, 2010 André Rieu and his orchestra performed for Queen Beatrix. It was the highlight of her visit to Valkenburg during the festive opening of the 125th anniversary celebration of the Netherlands' VVV (Tourist Office). Of course the Limburg Anthem was played and the Queen sang along.(At the end of the videoclip Queen Beatrix speaks the famous words: "That was very nice, but too short!" André answers: "I'd love to continue" ...) Click HERE To Watch Video
NOTE: This interview with André was written back in 1994 by journalist Els Smit: www.royalglitter.com. She updated its posting a few days ago. Ineke wrote to her as the article is copyrighted and asked for her permission for us to translate and post this article on the Harmony Parlor in English. Els gladly gave us permission and we do thank her for that and John for his Translation.... It's interesting to read what André had to say about everything 17 years ago, knowing what he has accomplished now.

Aug 15, 2011

ANDRÉ RIEU in Maastricht several years ago ...


This is a little fun video from Youtube, that Peggy Graenz posted on The Parlor on Facebook. It's an old video taken of André playing solo in Maastricht about 18 years ago ... Click on the Youtube link to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPK4hKMRA0U 

Aug 8, 2011

Frank Steijns Carillon Player: Two Fists For Africa

TWO FISTS FOR AFRICA 
High up in the church tower of the St. Pancratius church in Heerlen, carillon player Frank Steijns is calling from behind the carillon for awareness of the starving in Africa.
Limburger by Wiel Beijer ►For many centuries, the carillon has been telling the people what has been going on in their city. I am telling the people today what is going on, specifically in the Horn of Africa. City Carillon player Frank Steijns did not need to be asked twice to participate in this musical action of the Red Cross to raise awareness of the starving in Africa. Not only is he busy with his music, but Frank is well aware of the situation of the people in Africa. Together with his wife, who is a physician, they formed the foundation 'Doctors and Arts', (In Dutch Arts and Arts) and is now very active in the action to collect funds into Account 555 for the people in need.
High up in the church tower now, we have climbed 97 steps in order to reach Frank Steijns’ concert podium. We notice many passersby down on the church square and people visiting the terraces look up quite a bit as the carillon player plays "We are the World" by Michael Jackson. But the people continue on their Saturday routine to the market or the stores. "Isn’t it lonely up here giving a concert without having contact with the people?" you then ask.
"I am also a violinist in André Rieu’s Johann Strauss’ orchestra. There we reach a lot of people and receive lots of applause. In the orchestra, I am one of many. Here I am alone and never see my public. When I come back down, I occasionally hear someone on the street whistle the tune I just played, and then I know my playing had its effect", say Frank Steijns.
With his fists he "hammers" on the carillon. Two fists for Africa. He hammers away with a suppressed rage. After "We are the World’ he played "Image" by John Lennon and then Gymnopédie by Eric Satie. We were privileged to enjoy the concert high up in the tower, just beneath the bells. 49 handles are connected by wires to the same amount of clappers.
"The bigger the tower, the heavier are the bells. The St Martinus church in Weert has approximately 20,000 kilos (44,000 lbs) in bronze. Heerlen has half that much. This is a middle class carillon. I am talking about the weight of the bells. But as far as sound is concerned, it is one of the best sounds in the country".
The Netherlands is a very good country for carillon players. Our country has half the carillons of the entire world. No wonder the Red Cross asked the carillon players in their church towers to bring awareness to the city people of the misery in Africa.
And as we were descending the 97 steps, Frank played "Heal the World". And that is what is still needed ...
Thanks to John for Sending and Translating this for us

Aug 4, 2011

André Rieu's Twin Orchestra Members


For all those who have been asking us about the Twins playing the Viola with the JSO in Maastricht, their names are Svitlana (Lana) and Yana Popchuk. They hail from Ukraine and graduated from the Conservatory in Gent(Belgium) 'University College Ghent, Faculty of Music' in May of 2011 ~ Thanks to Ineke and Steve for the information on them.

Aug 1, 2011

It's a Holiday For André Rieu!

Holidays!!
CHAPEAU MAGAZINE by ANDRÉ RIEU: I will have to get used to them, but this summer I really will have a few weeks vacation, for me a strange perception. I will almost have to follow a course. How do you do that, going on holiday?
When I realized last year that I am no longer eighteen and just like everyone else, I have to adhere to all the laws of nature, Marjorie and I agreed that from now on we would take a summer vacation. We will be closed for no less than four weeks. Unheard of.
Actually it seems to be quite normal, but I in fact, have never before experienced anything like that. At least not in the last ten years. Everything became so busy that it just slipped by me. And I really did not have a need for a vacation, at least that's what I thought. I find it all very nice indeed, everything that I do.
But still, it seems that a little relaxation from all the stresses, does a body a world of good. So, I will go and try a little of that too. Although, we're not really going to travel for four weeks while on holiday. I travel myself silly all year around, so you are not doing me any favors with that. To spend a few days in a beautiful city, preferably one where they do not know me, that will be okay.
But as for the rest of the time? No, I'm not going to lay on a beach for weeks on end, I'd be bored to death. No, we can still enjoy ourselves at home, and Marjorie and I will undoubtedly in between still be involved with music. Coming up with new ideas with a glass of wine. But the office will be closed, so the number of phone calls, emails and so on will be less. I wonder what effect that will have on me.
It sure has been a year for me! I'm quite happy that I was able to resume my life and feel great. We just returned from Vienna where we recorded a wonderful special for ZDF in some of the most beautiful locations of that city. It will be broadcast in the fall on a Saturday evening, 2.5 hours long, aired during prime time.
And after the summer we are going to record a Christmas special for ZDF, this time in the caves of Valkenburg. We played there once before for our Queen, and we really enjoyed that. This special will be broadcast on Christmas Eve.
We also have a new CD with for the first time, ballroom music. That wonderful, nostalgic, swooning music. With songs like "Tanz mit mir in den Morgen, Blue Tango and Rot sind die Rosen".
And then the Vrijthof concerts are upon us, as always a high point for the year. And because they are in my own town, the atmosphere is always unique. This time, as a gesture to the Holy Shrine Procession, we have two gospel choirs in our program, one from America and one from South Africa. It will be something very beautiful. And especially for this concert we also have the Russian trio back, who toured around with us for a few years.
Yes, and then as the apotheosis, we'll play the waltz which Sir Anthony Hopkins wrote. That will be really something special. He will especially fly over from America to experience this on the Vrijthof. If someone from Hollywood finds it so special to come to the Vrijthof, then we can be very proud of the most beautiful square in the Netherlands ... André Rieu
Thanks to Ineke for scanning all this for us and John for ©Translating it all into English

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Pierre and André September 30, 2016 Maastricht

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Photo Taken at Mexico City Concert ~ September 2013

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"Hello to all my fans on The Harmony Parlor!"


Soundcheck in Maastricht 2013 (RTL Photo)



Maastricht 2012 ~ "André on The Theater Steps" by Bee

Maastricht 2012 ~ "André and Pierre on The Theater Steps" by Bee

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