MY FATHER
Music Was Work For Us: With Conductor André Rieu
Senior and experienced violinist André Rieu Junior happiness in three-four
time.
Father: The Dutchman André Rieu senior (1917-1992) was
a conductor in East Germany and the Leipzig Opera.
Son:
Waltz King André Rieu junior (63) founded the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 1987.
Today he is known as one of the most
successful violinists in the world. In 2014 he will tour through Germany
again.
June 24,
2013: My father was a conductor, also at home. He had the final say.
When he was at home he often withdrew to his study. At home we were six children,
two dogs and a parrot. Grandmother also lived with us. All this was probably too much for him.
Once we went on holiday
without our father The atmosphere was completely different, more
relaxed.
Usually that was not the
case. When I was four years old my mother decided I had the hands suited to playing the violin. That is
why I got a violin. Besides the violin, I studied flute, piano, oboe and
singing.
My sisters also played
several instruments. We never performed as a family at home. Music was not for pleasure, it was work and
our lives centered around it. At school I asked the children which violin they
had. A life without music was not imaginable to me.
My mother and the children use to attend my fathers concerts every Saturday. Once,
shortly before Carnival, he played a Viennese waltz in the encores. The audience became much more lively.
They tapped their feet and hummed along. It was like a miracle. I was very
impressed. Since then the Waltz
inspires happiness in me.
In 1992 my father suffered
a stroke and got the "Locked in Syndrome". He could only move his eyes. No more communication was possible.
It was a terrible time, for him and for all of us. Six months later he passed
away from pneumonia. I was
there, all the family was there. I don't know if he was aware of this or not.
Our relationship had always been difficult.
I know that he was proud of me, but it never translated into warm heartedness.
He believed in me and that improved my
self esteem. Musically I learned a lot from him.
In his time he was recognized
as one of the most modern conductors.
He had the guts to be extravagant. Once he dressed the entire Symphony Orchestra and soloist piano player in
Mozart costumes and had them driven through Maastricht by horse and carriage. I
was so impressed! I have probably inherited a little bit
of his crazy gene from him!
André's youngest brother,
Jean-Philippe wrote more about their father's illness.
Translated from German by
Ineke. And Thank You to Enitia for
her assistance with the English language
5 comments:
André you can be proud of your father who gave you his passion for music even if it was authoritarian, you succeeded today thanks to your hard work and tenacity. What a beautiful musician job, you bring so much happiness and excitement!nt
Lots of interviews about his family all of a sudden, why is that, do you think? To stop people from speculating?
Geert.
I think it is because his brother Jean-Philippe released a book (Discovery of Freedom) in which he openly talks about their parental family. That makes Andre to be more open too.
Ineke.
I love the image of the Rieu Sr. orchestra driving through the streets in carriages dressed in costumes from the Mozart era! (Think: the movie "Amadeus"). As we say in the States, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! I wonder how the rehearsals are going for the Vrijthof concerst, and who the guest artists will be- Jennifer D.
Oh god, Jean-Philippe, I had forgotten all about that guy :')
Thanks for your ideas!
Geert.
Post a Comment