Andre Rieu is a Dutch violinist and conductor, famous for creating the Johann Strauss Orchestra. In 2009, he was named the most successful male touring artist
As he prepares to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his summer Maastricht concerts, he talks about battling nerves and making classical music appeal to the masses.
YOU WERE FASCINATED BY ORCHESTRAL MUSIC FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE. WHAT WAS IT THAT DREW YOU IN?
My father was a conductor and chief of the Limburg Symphony Orchestra. I used to attend all his concerts, even as a young boy. I remember that one night, I must have been eight years old or so, after a ‘serious’ program of Beethoven and Mahler, he had chosen to conduct Johann Strauss’ By The Beautiful Blue Danube as an encore. Suddenly the atmosphere in the audience changed. People started to smile. They had a completely different approach to this music, I could feel that it made them happy. That was what drew me in, the wish to make people happy with music.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF SCREENING CONCERT PERFORMANCES IN CINEMAS? DID YOU NEED ANY CONVINCING THAT IT WAS A GOOD THING TO DO?
I think it’s wonderful and a great opportunity to reach our audiences abroad that unfortunately won’t be able to join us live in Maastricht. I am sure if this would have been possible at the time of Mozart, Strauss, Lehar – they would all have done it. It does not replace the live experience when you are at a concert but it’s a great way to join in.
WILL THERE BE ANY MORE NERVES ON THE NIGHT, KNOWING THAT SO MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL SEE THE PERFORMANCE?
More nerves? Haha, that would hardly be possible. I’m always terribly nervous when I go on stage, that’s inevitable. I think every artist needs this tension before a performance. It’s necessary to really get the best out of yourself.
COULD THIS BE THE FUTURE OF TOURING? THE PERFORMER STAYS IN ONE PLACE AND FANS GO TO THE CINEMA?
Oh no. There’s nothing as thrilling as getting the vibes from the audience and performing live for them. I would never give up touring. We will be touring the UK and Ireland in December and I hope all our fans will join us for a wonderful night. I mean, for example, it’s wonderful to watch a BBC documentary on Vienna, but it does not replace the feeling of actually being there. I see screening concert performances in cinemas as a wonderful addition to touring.
YOU ARE PLAYING ARENAS ALL OVER THE UK LATER THIS YEAR. DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD MOVE FROM CONCERT HALLS INTO ARENAS NORMALLY OCCUPIED BY POP AND ROCK STARS?
We started in traditional venues and concert halls. But I always believed in our concept and, of course, I always hoped that one day we would be able to reach as many people as possible. The biggest concert we ever did was in front of a crowd of 43,000 in Melbourne. It was absolutely amazing. It was an absolute dream-come-true for me and truly something that we did not expect – but dreamed of – when I started my first ensemble in 1978.
WHO ATTENDS YOUR CONCERTS? DO YOU NOTICE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, OR PERHAPS PEOPLE ATTENDING THEIR FIRST CLASSICAL CONCERT?
Yes, all ages. My dream has always been to make classical music accessible to everyone, regardless of age. It’s hard to tell if they are attending their first classical concert – but sometimes parents take their little children to the concerts, and I am sure for them it’s a first. We end every night with a big party, with balloons coming down from the ceiling and people dancing in the aisles. I have about 1.3 million fans on Facebook, fans of all ages. It’s really wonderful.
THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF THEATRICALITY TO YOUR CONCERTS. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS ARRIVED WITH TIME, OR HAVE YOU ALWAYS HAD A FLAIR FOR THE THEATRICAL?
Both. I think it’s genetic. But it ‘broke out’ when I played the violin in my father’s orchestra when I was in my twenties. Everyone was dressed in black and white, everyone looked so serious, the musicians did not even seem to enjoy the music they were just playing. I felt that the right images, costumes together with beautiful music could all add up to a wonderful, magical night that would involve the audience rather than just playing your piece and going home afterwards.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE COMPOSER OR PIECE OF MUSIC TO PERFORM?
Favourite composer – yes, Johann Strauss. Favourite piece – of course: The Beautiful Blue Danube. Adieu, Mein Kleiner Gardeoffizier by Robert Stolz is my wife’s favourite piece of music, probably because we say ‘Adieu’ so much when I go on tour. For that reason, I play it every night.
Andre Rieu’s 2014 Maastricht Concert will be screened live at Cineworld Aberdeen, Union Square and Vue, Inverness, on July 19. For the full list of participating cinemas, visit www.cinemalive.com. His tour includes Glasgow SSE Hydro on December 22.