André Rieu
DUTCH TREAT
An Interview with André Rieu
André Rieu, the elegantly attired Dutch violinist/conductor, has brought large audiences to classical music. And he's done it through a most unlikely medium: the waltz. His concerts, television programs, and recordings have people up on their feet, asking for more. Rieu has happily obliged. But the reigning Waltz King can do more than dance. His latest album, Romantic Moments, is a collection of intimate pieces from the heart of the classical repertory, with only a few waltzes thrown in for good measure. Andrew Farach-Colton found out what music keeps this new Dutch master on his toes.
barnesandnoble.com: How did you discover that the waltz was your forté?
André Rieu: My father was a conductor, and as a child I went to his concerts. Sometimes, as an encore, he'd play a Strauss waltz, and it struck me right in my heart -- it was love. And that love is still there. I think it also has something to do with my character. When I was 18, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were so popular and everybody was dressing like a hippie, but I dressed like Mozart! [laughs]
bn.com: Most of the waltzes you play were composed more than a century ago. Why are they still so appealing?
AR: I know the music was written 100 years ago, but it's still young music and it belongs to young people. And don't forget that in his own time, Strauss was like a pop star. His music is for all time.
bn.com: Why do some people look down their noses at light music?
AR: A lot of people look down on musicals, operetta, and film music. Why? I don't see the sense in that. Maybe they want to belong to an elite group. I don't think I can change those people, but I think I can open the door to classical music for the general audience.
bn.com:Your recent recording, Romnatic Moments, isn't a disc of waltzes but of famous classical melodies. What inspired this different approach?
AR: My father was a conductor, as I said, and from the time I was three, I went to almost all of his concerts. I think I can say that I heard all the classical repertory -- from baroque to modern. There are many melodies that I have had in my head for my entire life, and I've wanted to put them on a recording for a long time. In fact, there are so many melodies that I could make ten more of these records, but you have to start somewhere! [laughs] My dream is to take my public by the hand and show them -- slowly -- the whole of classical music. But one must start at the beginning with the pieces that are well known.
bn.com: Do you have time to listen to other musicians' recordings?
AR: I can tell you honestly that I never put a CD in the player. It's always my wife and kids who do that, and then I hear so much music that it's enough! When I was growing up, my parents listened to classical music, but now I listen to many different things, from Bruce Springsteen to Michael Jackson and more.
bn.com: When you pick up your violin at home, what music do you play for your own enjoyment?
AR: Scales! [laughs] No, I'm telling the truth. After this interview I have some meetings, and then I'm really looking forward to being with my violin and doing my scales.
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