A reincarnation of the master?

As André Rieu leaned into the wind, his body arched and his bow poised above his beloved Stradivarius, you could well imagine that you were seeing and hearing Johann Strauss himself. The antique cut of his tailcoat and the russet, wavy locks just brushing his collar gave an added sense of authenticity.

Amazingly enough, the wind into which he was leaning was coming from the surface of the Ajax football stadium in Amsterdam. And the 65,000 fans, hysterical with approval and waving their scarves like just so many war banners, were thrilling to the strains of the Shostakovich waltz. Somehow there was something much more incongruous about this scene that singing along with the great tenors at a football match.

André Rieu is, quite simply, a phenomenon. The son of an orchestral conductor (Maastricht's LSO), he has held a violin in his hands almost since he could walk. Now he is bringing melody to the millions. His Strauss & Co CD has already sold more than 750,000 copies - a feat unique in Dutch recording history. The new recording, Wiener Melange, had received almost 120,000 orders before it reached the records shops in early November.

Perhaps it is not a useful exercise to ask why, but simply more valuable to record this marvelous breakthrough of melody to the masses. André Rieu and his Strauss Orchestra bring music wherever they go. They are on the road 200 nights a year. Current tour plans cover virtually the whole of Europe where the recordings are being released; including England, Hungary, Sweden, Germany and Austria. The end of the season will see TV programs in the US and public concerts in all major cities, including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

It is a punishing schedule. The lean black-clad figure and tanned face of André Rieu, however, is energy incarnate. His office in an attractive riverside house in Maastricht, with a special walkway for the family dog, fizzes and crackles with energy and action. Phones and faxes flow, as arrangements are made with impresarios and recording companies, and one news or TV interview follows another.

In an elegant little drawing room, which serves for an interview, plans for the orchestra's new bus lie on the table. The orchestra of 25 and total staff of around 55, mean that this is more than a one-man show, and one that provides a good deal of employment. Armchairs that allow the players to sleep on the bus and the musicians' own personal chef are both details to ease the nights and days away from home for those accompanying the Maestro from Maastricht on his mission to take music and melody to the masses.

LIM December/January 1996
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