ONCE UPON A TIME…

We close our eyes and think of the moment when these four words reminded us of Fairytales, Enchanted lands and Enchanting People. And now, we know they have affected our lives for years, in many ways, and even ways we know not of.

In our hearts and fantasies each and every day, we see and dream and we realize the wonderment and possibilities of our deepest wishes and hopes, our dreams, all becoming reality. For they DID become reality when we were but small children watching our fairytales as though they were reality and not a fragment of someone’s imagination.

I ask…Why couldn’t they actually be real? They could of course…how else would we have these glorious, entertaining, pieces of imagination? Imaginations taking us away from reality and plunging us into a land or time of perfection or momentary perfection…like the Princess who kissed the frog and it became the handsome Prince, and then life was perfect and they lived happily ever after. Fantasies and Dreams, are they not awesome?

I remember when I was a child and I used to watch fairytales on television, filmed in far away lands of a time long ago. The excitement was challenging for me, yet the possibilities were endless with adventure and romance. I didn’t really understand the theory as to what was real or fantasy at the time, but I knew in my heart that it was truly exciting, and there were always happy endings to all the wonderful fairytales that I loved so much. And, in ways not unlike back then, when these fairytales were a real part of our child-like lives, don’t we all wish and hope and dream that all of our circumstances in our lives now, would have happy endings?

PEACE ON EARTH.

All this and more are a part of this wonderful dvd "André in Wonderland". The very word "Wonderland" brings to mind an imaginary place of beauty or magical charm. When I listen to the beautiful, soul-touching music playing, I realize a dream of a beautiful enchanting life and how beautiful André Rieu makes life for all of us who love his music, and what he does for the world.

André is exquisite, humorous, and very fun to watch as he takes us away from our three-dimensional life and places us in a time and place where dreams do come true, where our existent lives turns to a magical adventure.

The delightful sopranos Suzan Erens, Carmen Monarcha, Carla Maffioletti, Mirusia Louwerse, and the glorious Platin Tenors, the JSO and the many who are in this wonderful dvd, are ALL exceptional. We see so many children and adults alike, enjoying the happiness of this fun-filled, Disneyland-like theme park called "Efteling", where their attempt to bring the magic and fun to life, is easy and possible!

A magical world has been created for us with beautiful music and characters brought to life with the melodies we all have heard and cherished for many years. We share a time with the handsome Prince, and the beautiful Princess, who we know, will share our dreams forever and live happily ever after.

The beautiful horses, golden coaches, pixies, fairies, elves and other magical characters make this an enchanting dvd. The lighting, special effects and backgrounds, the castles and the mood they build in your mind, are perfect. And as we see these castles peacefully floating in the night skies, we know the promise of a beautiful, magical time is forthcoming.

SONGS OF "WONDERLAND"

There are 27 songs on this dvd.
 

1.. Thus spake Zarathustra ­ Written by Richard Strauss. If ever there were a phrase of words that were a tongue twister for me, this was it. It was quite humorous watching my brother explain to me, the pronunciation of this title, it just didn’t make sense to me…however, I did finally get it! --- Why was it so hard for me to get this pronunciation? I guess I have to understand the theory or the reasoning with something before it becomes a part of my memory. And when I found out that "Zarathustra" was a Prophet from thousands of years ago, and that he "spoke"…then I got it! I think of this as a learning song…we remember in "2001- A Space Odyssey" when the ape had the epiphany that having the rock, or bone, gave him the edge, or the power that he needed. "Thus Spake Zarathustra" is GREAT OPENING MUSIC for this dvd! "Now is the moment, for a new beginning!"…Is exactly what it feels like. (Note: my explanation of Zarathustra is an extreme over-simplification).

2.. Heigh- Ho! ­ By Frank Churchill, Leidzen and L. Morry. "Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, will make the troubles go, just keep on singing all day long"…"For if you’re feeling low, you positively can’t go wrong with Heigh Ho!" I’ve been there…just driving down the road and not particularly having a great time…and this song comes on, and immediately I get a smile and everything seems ok, even for just a moment. We can see all the elves marching along in our minds as they go merrily along to their destinations. I used to sing a version of this on the way to work…"Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it’s off to work I go…" It’s such a fun song…maybe I should try it again.

3. Florentine March ­ Was written by Julius Fucik, a Bohemian composer (1872-1916). The Seven Quacking Quails lend their wonderful humor to this great song. It seems their jobs were to blow their horns and make everyone laugh, and they succeeded. This is a very fun and enjoyable song.

4. Waltz Medley ­ Veleta (A. Morris), Tulips From Amsterdam (R. Arnic), The Clog Dance (A. Lortzing), Snowwaltz (Th. Koschat). A wonderful medley of songs! André the JSO, the Big Bad Wolf, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, yes, the Cloggers too, and many other characters, all dance to each song in this medley, and all are having a wonderful, happy time.

5. Salomé ­ Written by R. Stolz (1880-1975) who was an Austrian songwriter and conductor as well as a composer of operettas in film music. I enjoyed very much, listening to André explain how the princess, with only seven veils covering her, was slowly stripped of her veils one by one…and then there was one veil left…ok...it’s very humorous, and a beautiful song too! This song is filled with adventure.

6. Sabre Dance ­ By A. Katchaturian. An exciting and fast-paced song accompanied by a "whirling war dance" in an Armenian dance, where the dancers display their skills with, sabres. We see many dancers with wonderful, themed attire dancing to this tune. While dancing during this lively song, the dancers throw their knives very accurately. This is fun, enjoyable and intriguing.

7. Air of the Magician ­ Written by W.A. Mozart. Brian Dickerson has an incredible voice, incredibly deep. He’s perfect as a "magician"…impressive, in fact. The "magician" turns a few members of the JSO into various works of art, such as a wolf, a frog, a witch, etc., it’s quite humorous. Even André didn’t get away without being a victim of the magician’s deeds, for he was turned into about an 6 inch little André, with his little voice yelling and complaining to the Magician to turn him back to his normal stature…or words to that affect. The Magician was quite happy with his deeds…however, everyone was returned to their normal states when the song was over…. or were they? I enjoyed this very much.

8. O Isis and Osiris ­ From "The Magic Flute". Written by W. A. Mozart. This is a very pretty song, and the last opera by Mozart sung by Brian Dickerson, as the High Priest Sorasto. His voice is extremely deep, which is perfect for this song. As André explains that this song is one of the best "base" songs of all time.

9. I’ve Got Plenty of Nothing ­ Written by G. Gershwin. "And nothin’s plenty for me…" When Brian Dickerson sings this song I smile. It’s a very happy song where not a care in the world will change anything…You have nothing and you’re happy…how much better can you be? No worries, stresses, no challenging situations…just free, and happy. Brian Dickerson, you are quite enjoyable!

10. Concerto pour une voix ­ Written by C. Saint-Premx. Of course we see the beautiful Mirusia singing this song as she rises above the orchestra in her Angel wings and glowing white gown. She truly does look like an Angel. This is a very beautiful song and Mirusia, with her very beautiful voice, is awesome.

11. Solveig’s Song ­ From "Pier Gynt Suite" and written by E. Grieg. It’s easy to see how we can get tears in our eyes listening to Mirusia sing this heartfelt song. The heart and feeling she puts into every word, is very stirring to the soul. This is a very melancholic song about a woman who waits patiently for her man, all her life, expecting him to return to her. He’s found someone else and never returns, however, if he saw and heard Mirusia, I’m sure that he would return.

12. Lasst den Kopf nicht hängen ­ From "Frau Luna". Written by P. Linke. The Platin Tenors sing this song. It means "Do not let the head hang", It’s about a woman who waits all her life to marry. The Tenors make this song very enjoyable to listen to.

13. The Impossible Dream ­ From "Man of La Mancha". Written by: M. Leigh, and J.J. Darion. The Platin Tenors are fabulous singing this very stirring song. I think about the title and I think of how fitting it is to this dvd. "The Impossible Dream"…It is a quest to reach that "impossible dream" to accomplish all your desires and wishes, with all your might. With this determination, we can do more in life than we ever could imagine. To right every wrong, to reach the unreachable star.

14. Cinderella Waltz ­ From "Cinderella" and written by R. Rodgers. Every time I hear this song I see André dancing with "Cinderella"…ok, so we are dreaming here…it is all Fantasy, correct? This is such a great melody and a very enjoyable song.

15. Tara’s Theme ­ From "Gone With the Wind" and written by M. Steiner. If any of you are like me, you’ve loved this song from the time you first heard it many years ago, while watching "Gone With The Wind". To hear André playing it now on his violin touches deep into my heart and soul. I watch André play this melody on his violin, his expressions tell you a story of peace and beauty that is sure to melt your heart. We see an impressive castle floating through the night sky with a galaxy far away and the stars shining so beautifully, which adds to the moment…yes, this song will touch you.

16. Second Waltz ­ Written by D. Shostakovich. This is a very special song, I guess we could say that it was one song that vaulted André into major stardom. In the book "My Music, My Life", written by Marjorie Rieu, it states, "In August 1994 a single was issued with the "Waltz No. 2 from Jazz Suite No. 2" by Shostakovich, better known as "The Second Waltz". "The Second Waltz" conquered Holland practically overnight"… "It climbed to the Top Ten and stayed for months." It was fun to watch as they took us away from Efteling for a moment, on the big screens, and played this song at the games in the stadium in Holland. It was impressive watching all those thousands of people singing along and swaying with the music, as André played his violin on the field in front of them.

17. Little Brother Dance With Me ­ From Hansel and Gretel. Written by E. Humperdink, (1854-1921) with lyrics by A. Wette. E. Humperdink was a German composer, best known for his opera, Hansel and Gretel. Carla and Carmen are just adorable, as the brother and sister "Hansel" and "Gretel", singing this song!

The children from the Volksmusikspatzen of Berlin are so cute as they dance and sing along with Carmen and Carla. At the end of the song, the witch comes through the woods towards them and "Hanzel" and "Gretel" jump into the water. Or rather, our imaginations know they did.

18. Where Each Child Lays Down His Head ­ Written by E. Humperdink and lyrics are by A. Wette. Carmen and Carla are fantastic singing this very beautiful song. We can’t help but be impressed by them as their voices sound like Angels in Heaven. These two sing so beautifully together.

19. Carnival Festival ­ Written by T. Hermans. This is an incredibly fun, happy song with a wonderful medley of tunes representing various countries from around the world. I enjoy listening to this song as I drive down the road, it’s very entertaining.

20. Swanlake (Moderato) ­ Composed by P.I. Tchaikovsky. The ballet couple, Simone Noja and Jürgen Wagner are beautiful in this segment as they glide through this music to convey their story. The story follows a Prince who finds he cannot marry for love. Upset, he runs into the forest and sees a beautiful creature dressed in white feathers who is more woman than swan. By the spell of a sorcerer, she has become a swan by day and a woman by night, and her and the Prince can never be together. The lake has been "formed" by the tears of her parents when she was kidnapped by the sorcerer. This is beautiful music, however melancholy.

21. Some Day My Prince Will Come ­ From "Snow White" and composed by F. Churchill. We have all four beautiful sopranos dressed in their stunning white gowns, as they sing this wonderful song. One cannot help but be impressed by this music and the moment. Then the "friendly" witch comes out, and offers the sopranos that infamous apple, one at a time, and who’s going to take the apple she offers? Carla? No, she points to Carmen…no, she’s not taking it either, she points to Suzan, no, not her either…Suzan points to Mirusia, who seems happy to have the apple. After taking a bite…she falls into André’s arms…now, is that a dream come true, or what?

22. Fanfare ­ From "SwanLake", composed by P.I. Tchaikovsky. This song is only 19 seconds long. It "prepares" us for the next scene…

23. The Old Castle ­ From "Pictures of an Exhibition" and composed by Mussorgsky. Mirusia is "transported" magically to the castle where she lies in silence, in a deep sleep brought about by eating that nice apple. Her handsome Prince dances a beautiful ballet while recalling flashbacks with his Princess. At the end of the music he kisses her and she awakens, which allows them to live happily ever after. Jürgen Wagner is exquisite, as is the beautiful Mirusia.

24. The Only Thing I Care About ­ From "Land of Smiles", composed by F. Lehar, and lyrics by L. Herzer, and F. Loehner Beda. Ki, Mo, and No…do a wonderful job on this song, and it’s a lot of fun. I enjoyed watching Carmen, Carla and Suzan singing this song. In their "ki-mo-no" clothes we can see how rebellious they are to the ways of "old Chang". This is very humorous and very enjoyable.

25. Somewhere Over The Rainbow ­ From "Wizard of Oz", composed by H. Arlen, Lyrics by E. Harburg. Suzan Erens sings a very impressive version of this wonderful song. André says it’s the most well known musical song ever written. It’s an incredible song full of hope and dreams. "Somewhere over the rainbow, where skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true." How can you get any better than that?

26. This Land Is Mine ­ From "Exodus", written by E. Gold, Lyrics by C. Boone. I get goosebumps listening to The Platin Tenors sing this, as I’ve never heard such an impressive and emotional version of this song. "This Land Is Mine"…if this song doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, then nothing will. André dedicates this emotional song to the children of the earth, that they may be free. And, as we are all inhabitants on this earth, we have a right to be free and happy. So, I ask, why can we not have total peace at all times, throughout the planet? Maybe if all the powers that be would hear this song as it’s sung here, I mean really hear it…then maybe?

27. What A Wonderful World ­ Written by G. D. Weiss, G. Douglas and B. Thiele. One of the songs sung by Louis Armstrong that I really enjoyed, he had a way of singing it that really got to me. There is hope, peace, love and unlimited feeling in the words of this song. When I heard this most impressive version by André and the JSO, I couldn’t believe how a song could affect me any more than any other emotionally charged André Rieu song has affected me. I know that I have said it with other songs, but this version will bring tears to your eyes, especially when it follows the two previous songs "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "This Land Is Mine". Incredible!

******

To hear these last three songs in sequence, I can’t help but realize a special message, a special message that everyone in the world should hear. It is a message of peace, understanding, of a beautiful, fulfilling life on earth that is a right of every human being; that we all have forgiveness in our hearts, happiness, and of course, justice and freedom. André has said many times that music is such a beautiful thing. I listen to his words now, and the messages in these songs, and I see a wonderful world, which has been given to us by God, to be free, to be happy and to be loved.

After the last song has finished, the audience wants more of course…don’t we always? I get the feeling that we will never have enough of the music of André Rieu. How can we have enough of total happiness?

There is a promise of what life could be like if we just give it a chance…give people a chance and give ourselves a chance to be all that we can be. I could never imagine a more perfect selection of music than what was chosen here in "André in Wonderland".

Thank you for the music, fun and laughter. The music you bring to us all is incredible, beautiful, emotional, meaningful and perfect!

Thanks also to Marjorie and Pierre, for all you are and do, and even though you are "behind the scenes" we thank you personally. The ideas, heart and energy you add to the making of this concert and all the others, is so appreciated, because with it, you add to life and to the happiness of all who enjoy your work.

THANK YOU, to the Incredible Crew too! Your hard work is so appreciated!