My evening has been spent listening to Andre Rieu, and before I started I was at a loss. I thought, what more is there I can say about Andre Rieu? I have reviewed, not as many of his CDs as I thought, and it’s classical violin – it’s still classical violin.
What a shallow and uneducated opinion that would have been.
And The Waltz Goes On brings together waltzes from all over the world and arranges them together here in Andre Rieu’s own personal style to bring the waltz back to the world, to remind everyone how beautiful and ageless the waltz really is. Be that as it may, imagine my surprise as I sat here listening and typing away only to find myself singing along to an instrumental -yes, that definitely gave me pause.
I stopped in my tracks to think closely about what it was I was hearing. It was what I was singing along too – ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ arranged beautifully by Andre Rieu in a way that did justice to the Elvis version I remember from my childhood, and as I listened tonight it was Elvis’ voice I could hear in my head.
That isn’t the only beautiful song that you will recognise, also recorded here are Singing In The Rain and We’ll Meet Again.
From the CD booklet, this is what Andre Rieu had to say about the album:
“My new album presents waltzes from around the world – a sad waltz from Finland, a miniature waltz from France, a popular waltz tune that began life in Germany, and then reaching across continents we go all the way to New Zealand. You see, the waltz is universal. It can be full of surprises.”
The title track is a piece composed by Sir Anthony Hopkins when he was 19 that he asked Andre Rieu to take a look at. The piece encapsulated Rieu’s vision for this album beautifully and the rest, as they say, is history.
The album is closed out by a second version of Dreaming of New Zealand, this one with lyrics and sung by New Zealand’s own Hayley Westenra. This track was written while Rieu was in New Zealand in 2011; he was inspired by the stunning landscapes and the courageous ‘life must go on’ attitudes in the face of adversity, even as he was heartbroken by the recent natural disasters.
A moving collection of waltzes that is sure to touch all those who listen.
Track Listing
Grande Valse Viennoise
Wien wird bei Nacht erst schön
And The Waltz Goes On
Susie (If You Knew Susie)
Dreaming Of New Zealand
Vienna Forever
Ich muß wieder einmal in Grinzing sein
Tanze mit mir in den Morgen
La petite Valse
Are You Lonesome Tonight
You Can’t Be True, Dear
Valse Triste
Blue Tango
Red Are The Roses, ARV_11
Singing In The Rain
We’ll Meet Again
Dreaming Of New Zealand Feat. Hayley Westenra
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!