"He knows your heart beats to three-four time," writes an adoring fan, posting on the Web site of Andre Rieu, Dutch master of the waltz.

Rieu, a native of Maastricht, Netherlands, brings his 30th anniversary tour to Nassau Coliseum Saturday night, accompanied by his 40-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra. An accomplished violinist, Rieu, who plays a 1667 Stradivarius, has favored waltzes since studying at the Brussels Music Academy in the 1970s. On his latest world tour, Rieu has played soccer stadiums, which - besides football - usually host only rock stars or a trio of tenors.

So monumental are Rieu's outdoor shows that he deploys a mock Viennese castle as his stage. He's now widely known as the "King of Waltz." Think Lawrence Welk without the polka and Champagne bubbles. And, oh yes, with way more hair.

But his flamboyance has attracted considerable scorn, too. In Australia, where Rieu recently toured, Richard Tognetti of the Australia Chamber Orchestra described Rieu's repertoire as "Schlagermusik" - loosely translated as "easy listening."

But the "King of Waltz" wears his crown proudly and unapologetically.

Why the waltz?

"When I was studying violin at the music academy, somebody asked me to play in a salon orchestra. It was there that I played the waltz 'Gold and Silver' by Franz Lehar for the first time. What a revelation it was! I was immediately spellbound by that beat, which, years later, has almost become the rhythm of my life: three-four time, the rhythm of the waltz. But with my own orchestra, I play a lot more than waltzes these days."

Yes, show music, classically dressed-up love songs and up-tempo symphonic movements.

"My dream is to make classical music accessible for everyone. To achieve that, I've had my own recording studio built, and we're working hard to make new recordings in the classical repertoire."

Does all this touring ever get old?

"For at least the last 20 years, my personal life has been so bound up with my work that the story of my personal life would sound pretty much the same as the story of my career - especially as my wife, Marjorie, has been so closely involved from the start. My life is simply music. Music is what we are always doing, and it never gets boring."

Rieu and his wife also have two adult sons, Marc and Pierre. His latest CD is "Live in Australia," a follow-up to "Waltzing Matilda." No wonder he's big Down Under.

 BY STEVE PARKS | newsday