André Rieu Completely On A Healthy Tour

André Rieu  Completely On A Healthy Tour

This year he will turn 70, and if it depends on André Rieu, he will add another 50 to that. Tonight the violinist will play his favorite piece in the Johan Cruijff (Dutch soccer star) Arena in Amsterdam. The "Second Waltz" will be played prior to the championship match between AJAX and REAL MADRID.

The Limburger, Feb. 13th - When two years ago he saw Andrea Maier on the TV program  "Summer guests,"  André Rieu sent the professor in gerontology at the university of Amsterdam and the university of Melbourne an e-mail. If she, when he was on tour with his Johann Strauss orchestra in Australia, would like to participate in sport exercises led by his personal trainer, who usually also accompanies the violinist during his foreign concert tours - "she did and now she is hooked. I receive messages from her husband that she is so healthily busy........."

Andrea Maier, Rieu explains, studies the process of aging and is of the opinion that the process of aging is a disease which can be cured. "A rather bold statement. There are people in 'her circle' who even believe that the first person turning 1000 years old is already walking around on earth.'' Laughingly: "That age for me for the time being seems to be too ambitious, but I'll strive for it more than ever to stay in good health and to experience my old age. But then you have to be careful with your body."

Soft Autumn

He will turn 70 this year, for many an age to surrender to the soft autumn of existence. Not André Rieu. The violinist/conductor is currently touring Germany, after which a series of European countries follows: Portugal, Romania, Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Bulgaria, Denmark and Macedonia. Tonight he'll be listening and playing in the Arena the famous "Second Waltz" for the Champions League game between Ajax and Real Madrid. Just like he did 25 years ago in the Olympic Stadium during intermission of the match between Ajax and Bayern Munich. His beloved Vrijthof in Maastricht is traditional in July with the decor of his Dutch summer concerts. Twelve performances with more than 12,000 attendees each. "Just as exuberant as I did last year... We drag ourselves from one jet lag to another. September will be the United States, October Argentina, November Australia. And this year Chile and Colombia are still on the program. But we always say: "We now really have to take things a little easier." And smiling he says: "But we've been saying that for a long time. "It is almost like  the life of a top athlete and that, according to Rieu, requires one to be in excellent condition. In 2010 he suffered a viral infection on his equilibrium organs - his overtired body stood in the way of a quick recovery. "  I took the warning to heart. I thought: it all marches Well, but after your 60th you have to be careful. Now I play sports three times a week - strength training, squatting, bench press, leg press, dead lift, the entire regiment - led by a personal trainer. He really tortures us, since my son Pierre is also part of the party. That makes it one much nicer."

Healthy Taboos

In addition, André Rieu has stopped drinking. "From one day to the next day, it is just like smoking. I smoked until I was 24, three packs a day. Then we wanted children and I read that nicotine affects your sperm. I stopped halfway through a cigarette. Got rid of it. Every day I drank two glasses of wine. Poison, even if  you do it in moderation. Because you are doing it daily. I will tell you: it will become just as taboo as smoking. I now only drink water. Or alcohol-free beer. Tastes pretty good. "Also the diet - or better said: Sensible food - has in "House the Turrets", the little castle of André Rieu at the foot of the Sint-Pietersberg in Maastricht, made its entry. The violinist himself uses the ladle with great regularity . In a brand new kitchen, which he say laughingly "has the same dimensions as the Schönbrunn Palace." "What do I prepare? Just say it and I'll make it for you. And for Marjorie and myself, for the children and grandchildren, for friends. I am crazy about schnitzel, puff pastry filled with meat or fish with a sauce. When I prepare braised veal, I immediately make twenty of them. I freeze them. It is in my profession and tempting to go home and pick up something, but that we do not do that anymore."

Thank You to John for the article and the translation