A French Interview With André Rieu

Nous Deux, January 28 to February 4, 2008

André, if you could be ...

A Season? Autumn, because I was born in October, and I love the color of nature at this time. A Country? The world ... I am a citizen of the world.
A Town? Maastricht in Holland,my town
An Animal? An elephant. I love the elephants very much. Look at my necktie, it has approximately ten designs. I love them, because they are strong and amiable, but they can also look at eachother with rage, if it has to be. That shows a little of myself, this here (Laughter)
A Holiday? Christmas. It is sacred for me. This year we still celebrated it with the family in Holland. I have been offered a lot of money in order to play on the evening of the 24th of December, I have always refused it.
An Odor? The perfume of Roses. A Color? Red … I like it terribly. A Word? Courage!
A Film? The Melody of Happiness. A Trait? Perseverance
A Fault? Impatience

André Rieu Interview

I Would Be Nothing Without My Family
André Rieu: He shows himself in the stadiums from one end of the planet to the other and sells millions of CDs and DVDs. This artist is animated by an insanity, a sweet madness which brings him success.Compare his fairytale of the good fairies …
Fairylike surroundings, ostentatious decorations, amiable waltzes … André Rieu needs his whole organization and music talent in order to let his spectators dream.
While his new album, a hymn to the fairytales and fairies, undertakes an enormous trip around the world, the Dutch violinist stops to visit us into the pages of Wir Zwei (the two of us).

Wir Zwei: A Tribute to Fairytales … How did this idea come to you?
André Rieu: I always wished to do an album about fairytales. Therefore,
when a Dutch television network boss asked me to do something small for an amusement park we have in Holland, I threw myself into this endeavour. We worked out a plan and little by little it became a complete show, which was filmed and televised.
By the way, you have started a Trip around the World …Yes, my Viennese tour. We need a hundred semitrucks for this voyage, which will go through the stadiums of the whole world. We have played in Vienna in front of the castle of Sissi and of Franz-Joseph… There were the ballets from Vienna, skaters, horses … And like for the amusement park, this concert gave me the idea to embark on a gigantic voyage. That is how I am, I love challenges.
Can you Really Play all the Music? Yes, but after that it is a question of choice. For example, I could not play Rock, because that is not who I am, that is not my philosophy of life. My realm is the classical music, and in this fairytale album, what do you find there? Classical music still always and always. It flows through my blood. It is so marvelous … Every evening in concert I feel that my audience is even more attracted by it. There is pride in bringing it to the public in the streets.
Would Spectators without you not have Access to the Classics? That is most probably arrogant, but partially yes. They are there and I see them. My public is very different. Certain ones know the difference between a violin and a viola, and others are not capable of this, but for a few only is this imporant. They all come out of love for the cassicalmusic, and that is what brings me joy. In fact, I eliminate this elitistic side, which is claimed by certain purists, from this artistic art. It suffices to come to my concerts with their hearts being the only luggage and to leave the encyclopedia in the cloak-room.
Your Calumniators say that you don’t Play the Classics in a Stadium …What do you think I could answer you? Nothing … That is so ridiculous. The music has nothing to do with the location where one plays. The Pleyel Hall, the French Stadium, that is the same thing. That is the same thing compared with what one hears. The music is international, and all spectators are good. If you tell me to mistrust the coldness of the New York and the Parisian spectators, for example, that is wrong. There is no bad public … there are no bad spectators, it is up to us to be good.
Would you have been Able to do Anything Else but Music with a Dad Conductor? I do not know. In any case, music is indispensable for me. When I was little, I wanted to only play melodies at home and I detested to execute the gamut. Naturally, this was sometimes difficult, because I wanted to play outside with my friends, but I knew, in order to be successful in music, one had to engage oneself in it also. I never was an overly talented child like Mozart. My success is the fruit of much work and a little talent.
Didn’t you Get a Swelled Head on Account of your Worldly Success? (Laughter) No. The celebrity exists in the head of people, not in mine … I gave myself the time to grow, I have done things step by step, and there is no danger at all, that I lose my step. I don’t even have a manager. I do everything myself. Therefore, I can control everything.
Do you Work with the Family? Yes, with my wife. We do everything together, and with my younger son Pierre, who works with the stage area. My parents had a house in theDordogne. I love this land. One eats here like nowhere else in this world. I have learned your language during my studies in Holland, and thanks to my stays in your South-West.
Do you Always have New Dreams? Yes, surely. There are many countries, where I have not been yet. I dream of South America, for example, Mexico. I will go to Australia for the first time. I would love to keep bringing classical music to millions of people. Do I spread the good word? Maybe in my own way but I’m not the pope, that’s for sure. (Laughter)!

* Once upon a time… The double CD (approx.: $25) and the DVD (approx.: $30) Philips/Universal. And the 100 Plus Beautiful Melodies, CD (approx.: $46), Philips White Snow near Cendrillon, The Magician of Oz …** He is giving a special Concert on August 29, 2008 in the Stadium France.

Thank you to Hermina Kohlstadt and May Rose for this article!