Thick in the middle of many surveys (see last week's blog)...and requests from members and others back after the holidays. So will try to keep this short! (and I'm sure YOU are busy too!)Trying to prolong the holiday feeling....I decided on New Year's day to write in the blog about this....hope it will give you the uplift it gave me!
On New Year's day, while taking care of things at home post -holiday, I had PBS on most of the day....our local PBS station out of Maryland. They were running a fundraiser, and were showing a marathon of concerts. These were not ordinary orchestral symphony hall concerts. What I saw was a middle aged but youthful looking slender man with curly long hair, a twinkle in his eye, in a tux, playing a violin, while moving around the stage, making eye contact with the audience, the orchestra, and smiling as he played. He even turned his back to the audience from time to time, as he conducted his orchestra......
The orchestra was a smaller version of a full orchestra, it was more like a chamber group.....yet a full orchestra....all the ladies were dressed in pastel colored satin evening/party dresses evocative of the late 1800's, and men in tuxes/formal evening wear of that time. The members of the orchestra were smiling and making eye contact with one another and obviously enjoying themselves. They were playing a waltz; and then they moved onto some folk music.
The audience and setting? The scene revealed a packed town square, hard to tell what country it was, but clearly European.....a crowd was standing shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm, linked into one mass of swaying, happy, attentive, enraptured humanity....even old ladies in black dresses hung out their upper story windows on the perimeter to catch a glimpse of the goings -on.
I couldn't turn away at this point....obviously, it was entertaining, and not really serious, but the juxtaposition of classical music to folk, formal concert wear to the informal outdoor setting, the theatrical nature of the orchestra to the reality of the modern day audience, the joyous countenance of the orchestra and crowd.....it all kept me enthralled, enough to wait until the fundraising break to find out who this person was, and where this concert was, and what he was doing.......
The mystery conductor/violinist/orchestral leader was ANDRE RIEU and his Johann Strauss Orchestra. I had never heard of them, but apparently, they are like rock stars in Europe and have been for years. Through the day, I witnessed Rieu addressing his different audiences in Italian, Dutch, German, English, French and Spanish.....so at first, I was unsure what nationality HE was! Turns out he is Dutch. He travels the world with his orchestra, performing in different countries, in different venues, performing music of Strauss and other waltz composers, as well as music of whichever country he is visiting. His mission is to bring the joy of music to all. Sounds simplistic, but really, when you see these concerts, you will have to agree it is different than anything you've ever seen (aside from maybe the British PROMS).I hate to admit it, but after the first 1/2 concert I saw (Tuscany), I kept the TV on through fundraising break after fundraising break to see his Maastricht (Homecoming) concert, concert in France, I believe, one in Germany at Christmas, and finally, I had to see him at Radio City Music Hall! He regularly showcases local talent, and in NY, he featured the Harlem Gospel Choir. He speaks sincerely of, and affectionately for, each of the showcased talents, as well as the city in which he is a guest. His orchestra is a true ensemble and the interactions and lively repartee keep it interesting. The members are nearly all youthful, and I witnessed several antics during these concerts (blowing whistles, the staid cello player during one folk number; timpani player taking a vocal solo; all male members of the orchestra leaving their instruments behind to don top hats and canes to do a vocal number at Radio City....).....
None of it was campy, everything done was done gracefully, with sincerity, and beauty and joy.
Yes, the music is easy listening classical and show music and such, (pops), but, it was perfect for being transported from day to day drudgery and reality to the beauty and joy that music brings. If you go to Rieu's website, you can read how he started this unusual orchestra/group/mission.....as a young boy, he could not understand why the audience at the orchestra concert he was attending was not dancing and moving to the music, which was bringing him such joy. He could not understand why everyone in the audience was sitting there motionless.....CLICK HERE to READ MORE.....
I wish I could show you a picture of this orchestra/event, but technically and legally speaking, I'm not sure I can. So please just CLICK HERE to see his site and get more info about this amazing group! And to see articles and video excerpts of concerts....
Whether or not you may think this kind of music is "good" music, I pass it along to you as a potential resource especially perhaps for younger kids, and even those in high school, in case they've become jaded or thought there was only "one" way to play music. There are many avenues to take musical skills once out of school......kids should be encouraged to explore them! Contact MENC at info@menc.org for some career resources you may want to share with your students, and/or see THIS SITE!(see more below....)
I leave you with a few articles you may want to read in your free (haha!) time, below!See you next week! SR
RESOURCES
MUSIC TECH LAB for high school students who are not performers
CONCERT GOERS, "please shout or clap anytime!" A short history of concert-going...how the audiences of old used to be much more animated than we are today! Worth signing up for a free NYTimes on-line subscription for access to this article!
