Andre's View

André Rieu's view

André Rieu's view: 'My orangery is the place where I can completely relax'

Every week "De Volkskrant" (Dutch Newspaper) asks what a nice friend sees when he or she looks out of their window - and what that says about them. Artist Matteo Pericoli, who created the series "Windows on the world" for The New York Times, portrays the view.

By Misha Wessel May 2018

André Rieu's view. Photo Matteo Pericoli

People often ask me which music I like to listen when I am at home. Frankly, I prefer silence. I play between one hundred and one hundred and twenty concerts a year. So when I'm free, I think it's great not to have anyone around me and not be surrounded by music for a while. My orangery is the place where I completely relax. I have sent my gardener out to find out the most beautiful plants and butterflies in the world. The only noise in here comes from the tropical birds and the clatter of the little waterfall at the pond. Delightful!

When I saw that the "Castle De Torentjes" (Little Turrets) was for sale, I did not have to think about it twice. I was - and still secretly am - a big fan of Tin-tin. At one point his good friend Captain Haddock bought the castle "Molensloot." That has always appealed to my imagination. I wanted that too! And my castle has housed so many special residents and stories: the first owner (in 1534, if I am not mistaken) might have been a composer. The famous musketeer d'Artagnan ate his last breakfast here before he died in front of the city walls of Maastricht and I even received piano lessons here as a little boy. So I am incredibly proud that I live here now.

In Maastricht they ring the "Grameer" clock on most of the special Holidays of the church. "Grameer" is Maastrichts for grandmother, derived from the French word "grandmère." The clock hangs in the Basilica of the Saint Servaas, in the center of the city. We live exactly the perfect distance from it to hear its sonorous, almost ominous sound of this clock. And precisely since the clock is almost never rung, I find it so beautiful. I like silence, but that sound really belongs with my view. '

André Rieu (Maastricht, 1949) is a violinist and leader of the Johan Strauss Orchestra. Known as "King of the Waltz", he wants to make classical music accessible to everyone. He has sold more than 40 million CD's and DVD's worldwide and annually attracts hundreds of thousands of fans with his concerts.

Thanks Ineke for the article and John's translation