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 I have memories of two unfortunate Memorial Days in the past. One was when I missed meeting my Maker, by a hair, in Scottsdale, Arizona that I recounted in last year's Memorial Day post. The other was when Wallace, our cat, got so badly hurt that he wound up in the hospital for a week. However, this Memorial Day experience was as positive as these other two were negative.
The Memorial Day week end started in New York and ended in Reading, Pennsylvania at an Andre Rieu concert. New York, as always, was brimming with excitement and people. The city was awash with the military. And I had the opportunity to speak with a few servicemen and tell them how much they are appreciated. And, as always, I advertise my website. But I must spend most of this post on the high light of the year, so far. The Andre Rieu Concert!
I have seen Andre Rieu on TV several times and have been a fan for years. So, having the opportunity to finally see this maestro and his orchestra in person was an Event, to be sure! They played to a packed Sovereign Center last night in Reading, Pennsylvania. I wish I could even begin to describe the atmosphere and performance. When Andre Rieu and the "Gang" of musicians marched down the isle and took center stage the crowd went crazy. This is possibly the most beloved violinist and orchestra leader in the world. And his audiences include every age and social class. He crosses all barriers and just brings his audiences the joy of his music. His is the epitome of great music of our time, I believe. It was as colorful and entertaining evening as one could imagine. There were beautiful girls in wonderful gowns and the music ranged from Straus waltzes to Mozart concertos to mariachi boom boom to, "Amazing Grace". The vocalists were all, I suppose, among the best the world has to offer. Magnificent, is the word that comes to mind.
His violin playing and conducting are impeccable, as was the whole orchestra's performance. It was obvious that he requires nothing short of excellence from every musician as well as himself. So, we were all the recipients of this musical purity and beauty. One of the female sopranos was the youngest to win the Australian Opera award at nineteen. When she sang, "Ave Maria" it was truly like an angel, as Andre said when introducing her. He assured us, before she sang, that we had never heard such a rendition before and he was right. The huge video screens allowed a close-up into the beauty and expressions of all the musicians. Andre had made several good natured jabs at Reading, a relative backwater in comparison to their usual venues. In his awkward English, he said, "We play all over the world, the word's biggest cities, but lately I have not been able to think of anything but, READING!" The people laughed and loved him. The evening was total entertainment from beginning to end. And the end seemed as if it would never come. The audience would not let them go and they played encore after encore. I am just grateful that such music still exists and that there is a growing following for Rieu's entertainment. I am also grateful that my husband and I had the opportunity to see and enjoy such a night of entertainment and excellence. I hope you will not miss seeing him if he is ever anywhere near you. I promise you, you will then and only then know what I'm talking about. You will not regret it!
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