Rieu a Well Oiled Machine in Amsterdam

A Well "Oiled" Orchestra in The Ziggo Dome

January 9, 2017, The Limburger by Jan Cuijpers It is a rock hard rule: The show must go on.Last Saturday André Rieu and his orchestra performed again for the first time since the passing of trombone player Ruud Merx. The Ziggo Dome received their monies worth.

Amsterdam Just a remark by André Rieu half way through his performance in a fully packed Ziggo Dome. "During our concerts many friendships are established between people who previously never would have known each other. I am proud of that." That comment confirms the expression "music unites." Those connections also exists within the Johann Strauss orchestra, where several relations originated. That is where Ruud Merx, who passed away on 22 December, learned to know his wife, violinist Alina-Lin Jong. And between various band members there are friendships which far transcend the ordinary good fellowship. The passing of the much beloved Merx also caused emotional reactions within the group.

Happiness André Rieu immediately canceled the remaining five concerts of his England tour after the heart attack of his trombone player. The Maastricht citizen's motto is, that he and his orchestra want to bring happiness to the people, and that is why under those circumstances, he and his musicians were not able to perform, so said the conductor.

Between Christmas and New years, André could not be turned away from the TV. By channel surfing you could always catch him on a Dutch, German regional TV station. Unwittingly the broadcasts ensured that Ruud Merx was still alive. He not only filled an important role as a musician, but if we go to face book and the speakers at the impressive memorial service at the Rodahal, he was also the man of jokes and witty remarks and the instigator in the orchestra.

He was also prominently featured in several broadcasts, balancing his trombone on his chin. But that was missing for the first time in Rieu's New Year's concert in the Ziggo Dome on January 7th. Would the front man be able to be the humorous entertainer again and how will the orchestra react to the loss of the trombonist - who until that fateful December 22nd had been a vital link for over two decades. Very important, since after Amsterdam there will be a volley of 25 concerts, primarily in Germany.

Top form The answer to the first question: André is in to form. He is living proof that a (world)star must not only be a good musician, but also a super performer. It is not for nothing that he is in the top 100 of the successful touring artists worldwide. Just the ticket sales for his concerts alone grossed a whopping 32.1 million in 2016. His whole appearance radiates that he is the leader of the company and with his tongue-in-cheek announcements he enchants his audience. If for instance someone calls out that he should speak English: "Are there many English here?" When there is a massive reaction: "I thought you all left Europe!" And he easily continues the show bilingual. A concert that attracts an international public. The British have already been mentioned, but also Belgian, Spanish, Mexican and even Columbian people occupy the seats in the Ziggo Dome.

Yesterday's rehearsal was crucial for today's success. There, that was the place for sorrow and tears.

Machine There were only smiling faces in the orchestra. The venue looked and sounded like a well oiled machine. There is only one word for that: "PROFESSIONALISM." "Today everyone was in good form," said manager Pierre Rieu after the performance. "The rehearsal we had yesterday was crucial for today's success. There, that was the place for sorrow and tears. Today we purposely did not say anything about Ruud. That would have been too difficult and it is also our sorrow. We do not want to burden the public with that, even though they understand 100%. Fortunately we persevered."

A hard, but none the less true conclusion after seeing a world class concert: every musician is replaceable, but not the Maestro

Thank You to John for this Translation  

André Rieu New Year Concert at Ziggo Dome

Ziggo Dome To Become a Viennese Ballroom

The Gelderlander - Jan. 7, 2017: It will become an annual spectacle during a time when traditions are increasingly under pressure. Tonight André Rieu introduces a keeper at the Ziggo Dome: A New Year's Concert. Did he as a child also watch the famous New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic? Which was followed by the ski jumping in Garmisch Partenkirchen?

Andre Rieu (67) starts to laugh. "During my childhood there was no television at all - that's how old I am But when I married Marjorie and we had children, we watched the New Year's concert every year."

"I was a great admirer of conductor Willy Boskowsky, who just like me stood as a violinist in front of the orchestra. In the beginning years with the Johann Strauss Orchestra, we mainly played Viennese music. Primarily Johann Strauss, but also Franz Lehar, Emmerich Kalman operetta music and also other well-known Viennese songs like Wien, Wien nur du allein. These New Year's Concerts were in a sense a source of inspiration."

The Ziggo Dome is tonight the scene of the first Dutch New Year's concert by André Rieu. The beginning of a tradition, because the Limburg stand-alone violinist and his Johann Strauss Orchestra will return annually to the Amsterdam music hall.

People need to feel that this year could not be better

Pop Songs
So now our country has its own opening concert of the New Year, in which classical and popular music intertwine. "Because in the meantime our repertoire has become much broader and we actually play almost 'everything'. Waltzes, operettas, musicals, movie soundtracks and even the occasional pop song."

The first official New Year's concert works seamlessly with another, especially for André Rieu's memorable event: An der schönen blauen Donau, the mother of all waltzes, which 150 years ago, was first performed.

"Moreover not immediately and exactly a resounding success" he says. "The real triumph of the Danube around the entire world only began after Johann Strauss had conducted his own composition in 1867 at the World Exhibition in Paris."

The Vienna Philharmonic finishes its New Year's concert in the big hall of the Viennese Musikverein invariably with the famous and equally beloved piece, the Radetzky March by Strauss Sr.

In Austria "An der schönen blauen Donau" is cherished as a national anthem which recalls the glory days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the monarchy we especially know in these parts of the lavish splendor in the Sissy movies.

To listen to the iconic Viennese Waltz, André Rieu invited 150(!) Couples to come waltzing into the Ziggo Dome. "It will be a magnificent formation dance", he predicts. "With 150 men in tuxedo's and 150 ladies in beautiful white ball gowns especially designed for them. First they waltz to the famous music from the Dr. Zhivago film,Lara's Song, but later they will actually dance to "der schönen blaue Danube."
Andre Rieu has "prepared" a New Year program with an undeniably Viennese touch.

I want the visitors to leave with a smile on their faces

Mexico
"Nice music, waltzes, beautiful arias and a festive atmosphere. People need to go home with the feeling that nothing can go wrong this year. That's what I want to achieve with my concerts: that the visitors leave with a smile on their faces."

Tomorrow is Belgium's turn. André Rieu will then, including the 150 couples, perform in Brussels. Afterwards there will be a series of concerts in Germany and France and then on the program it will be Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia and Scandinavia. "Of course in July we will play again on the Vrijthof." Yes, the 67-year-old also has a vacation planned, but not one too long huh ... "Because after the summer we go to Chile and Mexico."

Thank You to John for the Translation

It's The Start of 2017 and We'll Be Going Into Our 10th Year!!

Photo by Edwina Morgan - Australia Concert Tour 2016