Strong Return of André Rieu After Burn-out

 

Ten Years Younger

Strong Return of André Rieu After Burn-out 

André Rieu feels more energetic than ever before. The musical leader of the Johann Strauss Orchestra performed this past weekend for the first time after his burn-out two performances in the Danish cities of Odense and Copenhagen. "It was very exciting to be on stage again" he readily admits. "And boy, did I enjoy it!!"

Privé by: Colette Boegman
The Maastricht artist just finished his workout on the treadmill. He also does body building every day and watches his food intake. "For the last three months I have not been sitting in a chair waiting for me to recover, but I have been working extremely hard on my fitness. And the result is; "I am eight kilo’s (17.6 lbs) lighter and feel ten years younger." Mid way January everything all of the sudden became too much for the hardworking André. "At night while in bed, I had terrible problems with dizziness. That was the moment when I realized I could not go on any longer. The entire room was spinning."

The musical leader was being tested and tested. "But no results. Yes, I did receive the shock of my life when during an exam at the doctor’s I stepped on the sale. 97.2 Kilos (213 lbs) I have always been around 80 kilos (176 lbs). When all the doctors assured me there was nothing wrong with my health, I started working on myself.

DUMBBELLS  

He continues: "I had not done any sports in the past ten years. Actually I do not know why. Something like that just sneaks in I can remember when I watched Bram Moszkowicz’s father on our black and white TV. He was there every day in front of the mirror with his dumbbells. That what I want to do too, I then thought. But it actually never happened.

But for the past two and a half months, André has been making time for that. "I already notice the difference. My energy was all gone because I did not work on myself. In my normal way of life I had difficulties making it to the end of the day, let alone having enough energy to be on stage. While I prefer doing just that.

Together with a personal coach André fought his way back. "Every day I make time for myself, move a lot and eat healthier. I am not on a diet, because then I will be back to my previous weight in no time. To adjust your daily meals, that is the secret. And leave the pastries alone. With every review I was offered a piece of pastry. That can no longer be." Now that André looks back upon this annoying but instructive episode, he feels he should have intervened sooner. 

The Christmas special did me in ...

"I never realized I was over-tired. Looking back I think it was the Christmas special that did me in. I had my doubts about that project, but gave in because the record company wanted to introduce me this way to the American audiences. It was extremely hard work, every day until three or four in the morning and then back and forth to America. No, that could never go well." "It turned out to be a very nice special where they covered everything in snow" André thinks. "But I look at it from a different angle. More so since from the very beginning I had my doubts. When they now say: "With this show you will break through in America, "I tell them "Let John Doe have a nice breakthrough. I am indifferent to that and would say "no" more frequently."

PIZZERIA

André received a lot of support from his environment and his fans. "My wife Marjorie said: "Whatever happens, I will always love you. And if we cannot do this anymore, we will just do something else. We will open that pizzeria which we always talked about earlier." "I received a lot of strength from that. And also from all the heartwarming mails and cards from all over the world. Sometimes people tell me: "I have had the same experience. Don’t drink Cola light anymore" André says laughingly. "All information received was well-intentioned."

Shortly Rieu and his company will go to Germany for various shows. These are in preparation for his all important Brazilian tour, which is on the schedule for the end of May. They will be his first concerts in South America. "And in between I want to catch up on the postponed concerts. On 22, 23, 24 and 26 June I will be performing on the Vrijthof in Maastricht and on 30 November in the Ziggo Dome (in Amsterdam) and on 22 December in the Ahoy (in Rotterdam).

"But I watch myself. What happened to me in January will not happen again. I am sure of that. The first 60 years I have been messing around, but the next 60 years will be organized. That will give tranquility." André starts to laugh: "Two weeks ago, my son Pierre also started body building. And now that I feel ten years younger, he of course cannot stay behind."

Thanks to Ineke for the article and John for the Translation ... Photo by Flemming Behrntz