André Rieu Chapeau Magazine Article

In Top-Shape!

Chapeau May 17, 2012: In the 2010 Christmas edition of Chapeau, I wrote there that, after three months of enforced rest, I had learned something due to the problems with my equilibrium. I would approach things differently; reject many activities and only concentrate on my performances and my music. And, I also wrote there that I would work out again, as I had previously done. Frankly I have to admit that the latter never took place. Despite the fact that I accepted fewer requests and invitations, I never started to exercise. I was kept busy with the preparations of new tours, CD recordings and wonderful specials in Vienna, Amsterdam and Maastricht, and especially the beautiful and very time and energy consuming Christmas Special for ZDF.

And yes, earlier this year things went wrong again with a nasty flu, again dizziness, and again I was totally "done for". Well, that will not make you happy, especially the orchestra and my staff. So I thought: I have to make drastic changes if I want to follow my dream and make music for as long as possible and continue the reality. With exercises and rest I have managed to get the dizziness under control, but this time I have taken the matter much further. It was high time that I really started thinking of myself once more and started listening to my body. What I do on all those tours around the world throughout the year is considered by experts as a top sport. Every international artist can relate to that. The real athletes, like cyclists and soccer players are being coached daily by a team of experts. How much they should exercise, what exactly they should do, how they should take care of their bodies, which foods they should eat, etc. Consequently these athletes are roughly between eighteen and thirty years old. I'm over sixty and have never been coached by anyone, especially not in this occupation. Your body is obviously the basis for everything you do, whether it's playing soccer or the violin. So I said to myself: it's been nice but now is the time for discipline, also in this area. I have obtained a personal trainer who coaches me. He makes a schedule for the entire week, whether it is power lifting that day (yes, really! to strengthen the muscles), running, tennis, breathing exercises, or just a day of not doing anything at all, that’s also allowed. And also which foods I eat. I do not follow a particular complicated diet, but eat very healthy and am aware of what I eat. Wow, did that show results! My condition is rapidly progressing, I feel really very fit and my clothes fit better again, especially my shirts. I've already lost eight kilo’s (17 lbs) and I want to return to my old weight of about 80 kilo’s (176 lbs) at which time I felt fine in the past. 

Unfortunately, all sorts of wild stories were published in national and international news media. Would I ever be returning to the stage? I was attributed to the most serious illnesses. But that was all nonsense, I'm totally back, healthy, and I feel ten years younger through my conditioning and I will now keep that very well on track. My first concert after a three month’s rest period was in Denmark, which turned out to be immediately super; it felt like always, the audience was deliciously enthusiastic, just wonderful. Also the performances afterwards in Germany, Austria and Budapest went fantastic. The Johann Strauss Orchestra has more vitality now than ever before; the musicians are so relieved that we can play again! We are totally ready for our first tour to Brazil. If we are to believe the messages, they are already furiously enthusiastic there! We will play twelve times in the same venue in Sao-Paulo, beginning at the end of May. That’s before the Vrijthof concerts towards the end of June. And then in July we again go back to Brazil for another series of twelve concerts. So that promises to be a big celebration. 

In August we will be on holiday, but now for real! And no one will come and ask me to do a Christmas special or whatever, because I will just say "no!" After our summer holidays we will be making up the cancelled concerts from the beginning of the year, in Germany and France. Towards the end of the year we play in the new "Ziggo Dome" in Amsterdam and the "Ahoy" in Rotterdam, and that pretty much finishes the year. In the meantime we are busy planning tours for Asia, and that looks promising. But whatever happens, from now on I will take enough time for myself to relax and maintain my fitness levels. If this, what I do is considered a top sport, then I have to adjust my lifestyle. I'm very willing to do that, since my music is everything to me! See you on the Vrijthof; I am looking forward to it!

André Rieu 

Thanks to Ineke for sending this to us right away and John for Translating it.