In The Proper Rhythm by André Rieu

In The Proper Rhythm by André Rieu

Chapeau Magazine: April/May 2011

It has taken me a while, but I am under the impression that I finally have landed in the proper rhythm of life. That means a rhythm that is somewhat healthier. For my concerts I still give one hundred percent because I feel great with them, but much of the organizational work around it, I now leave to the people who work with me. My son Pierre now directs all that, in which he is well qualified. He is like a fish in water since he grew up with it.

Actually I've always had at least two jobs, one as a fulltime musician and one as an entrepreneur with now around 120 employees. If you want to do them properly as I did, then for each of these jobs you need about forty to fifty hours a week. Well then, you can easily calculate what one week looked like for me.

And I have to add and say that I wanted that and did it with pleasure. It was important to me that I was pulling all the strings, so that we all would be going the direction I had in mind. When you're young, you do not feel that this can sometimes be tiring, because then you can do a lot. But the reality of advancing age in my past was obviously something I was not aware of. Then at one point your body says: "That we can no longer do", and you have to make choices. I did and I feel good about them.

The concerts are still my big inspiration and I am fresh and motivated when on stage. But away from those, I have finally been able to take more time for myself. I walk more, exercise more and take my rests. I am even more often at home doing odd jobs. No, the Michelin guide does not need to come along yet, but it means relaxation for me. I especially take more time for my family, and let’s not forget my grandchildren. What a daily inspiration they are, that's really incredible. I miss them already when I'm on the road for only two days.

I still spend a lot of time on the road. This to me is not really a negative since we always travel in a comfortable manner, and we are not rushing from here to there. Since January, we are touring with a new program which we basically play the entire year, although we do adjust our program to the location where we perform. Over the past two months, we have performed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark and from mid-March we will be in South Africa, where we will be doing approximately the same tour as last year. Therefore and unfortunately I will have to miss the TEFAF (International Arts Fair) in Maastricht.

In April we will finally go to England. That has been in the workings for the last few years and the entire tour is sold out already. We may possibly make the O2 Concert in London into a TV Special. That is really exciting. In May we will be going to Australia and New Zealand. Yes, even to Christchurch which was devastated by that terrible earthquake. We will do whatever we can there to specifically cheer those people up. And Marjorie and I are of course already preparing for the Vrijthof concerts, which will again take place during two weekends. I always look very much forward to them. Playing at home always gives you that exceptional feeling.

After South Africa we are first going to take a few days vacation. The last few years I no longer knew what that was. But I do need a few days of relaxation. Who knows maybe to Rome, which we like. No, an audition with the Pope has not happened yet. It’s just great to be away for a few days in relative anonymity, enjoying the sun and the people on the terraces. Normally everyone looks at me, now I can look back at them.

Thanks to Ineke for sending this and John for ©Translating it