★★★★★ 0/5

Ah Vienna

Vienna came to life for thousands of spellbound classical fans as Andre Rieu began his Australian concert tour last night.

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A giant, life-size reproduction of Vienna’s Schonbrunn Castle was the setting for Andre Rieu’s first Australian concert last night in Melbourne.

The Herald Sun notes the waltz king and his $11 million Stradivarius violin led a dazzling, romantic show that had the thousands of concert-goers who came to Docklands stadium tapping their feet and swaying their bodies together in waltz time.

Giant candelabras flickered over the heads of Rieu and his Johann Strauss orchestra and chorus.

Dancers twirled on two 600m ice rinks and from palace balconies and in a ballroom scene. Fountains cascaded and splashed around classical sculptures on either end of the huge stage.

“What would the world be without music?” asked the conductor at the beginning of the concert. “Music is the most beautiful thing we have — am I right or not?”

“Yes,” roared the orchestra.

“Melbourne — you are the most joyful audience in the whole world,” Rieu said.

Rieu’s fans snapped up souvenirs, DVDs and CDs and queued for $40 T-shirts and $20 programs.

The three-hour concert began with Rieu and his players walking through the audience to a rousing rendition of 76 Trombones.

Soon the thousands were swaying to the Voices of Spring by Strauss.

Rieu, arguably the Ovation Channel’s most popular brand, billed his show as “a romantic Viennese night” and it was all of this and more. The tour proceeds around the rest of the country until ending in Brisbane in December.

(and is that Bruce Willis ‘moonlighting’ in the orchestra?)

Source / Photo: Herald Sun

6 Responses

  1. Andre Rieu is about classical music that entertain people not the critics or music elite. Let’s be hones guys you’re in minority that doesn’t like Andre. Yes it borders with schmalz sometimes, but he’s appeal is to the wider audience and he knows how to entertain them. OK, musical elite, get yourself a life. You’re just plain boring.

  2. Since when was owning your own castle relevant to musical talent?

    Since when was charging $2500 to meet your fans admirable? (Or for that matter, ~$300 to see a concert of bland “cover versions”?)

    Look, Rieu obviously taps into a willing market – the same market that loves those New Year Concert specials on SBS despite the fact that it’s the same tedious Strauss waltzes every year. I understand. It sounds like it’s cultured and makes you feel good. Nothing wrong with that. However if you went exploring a bit further you’d discover classical music that would astonish you, that would change your life. And the best part is that it’s played by a world-class symphony orchestra right here in Melbourne for a fraction of the price that Rieu charges to see his shows. The MSO could use the money a lot more, too. Sure, no horses or explosions, but you can live without those, surely.

  4. Ok…I had to laugh. Arthur does look a little like Bruce Willis in that snap shot. Arthur, oboe is a nice man who has been in the JSO many years. 11Million is a misprint, as I’m sure 1M is more like the real guesstamation.

    Now as to the “absence of talent”, well…says who? For every snob who thinks they are a music critic there are a million fans that enjoy the concerts. Show me a statue in any city square dedicated to a critic. hummm… Most do not know of Andre’s abilities or education. Here is a little background:
    André began his training on the violin at the age of five, eventually studying at the Conservatoire Royal in Liège and the Conservatorium Maastricht, where his teachers included Jo Juda and Herman Krebbers. From 1974 to 1977, he attended the conservatoire in Brussels, where he studied under André Gertler.

    Priceless is owning your own castle, performing the music you want to, the way you want to, and being appreciated by Millions of Fans Around The World. Priceless isn’t being bitter on a blog. Just my thoughts…

    Check out the Fans & Friends at http://www.AndreRieuFans.com but be careful, they are nice to everyone, even critics. 🙂

  5. Yucch… Andre Rieu is the Liberace of our time. Kitsch renditions of classics – such as his truly horrid version of Waltzing Matilda – combined with overblown production and staging. I really don’t get the appeal of this guy.

  6. Good timing with the title of the post, since Ultravox just reformed for a tour 🙂

    As for the $11 million violin… well, 11 million for an instrument that’s drowned out totally by the cheesy spectacle, chaos, walking frames and astonishing absence of talent? Priceless.

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