Ronel's Musical Experience With Andre Rieu
My story: On 25 December 2006, my eldest daughter Yolandi and her husband 'introduced' us to ANDRE RIEU in the form of gifting us with Schonbrunn and Flying Dutchman DVD's for Christmas. After the lot of people having with us over the festive time, me and my husband Ludwig watched the dvd's........ speechless, breathless, ecstasy, the best, outstanding, absolute beyond beautiful were emotions we experienced as we both grew up in homes where our parents loved classical music although only audio as in South Africa we did not have television. Both of our parents has already passed away long ago and this brought memories and crying and laughing and sharing great memories in our house that evening like I have never experienced and wished that especially my mother could see and hear this in the beauty and flair that this phenomenal man presents the music - heaven was brought to earth for us in this way. Me and my husband both decided we would love to see a show live of this great great musician. On the 30th December that year, we booked our tickets for his show in Australia as we read on his website he will make a facade of the Schonbrunn Castle and put it up in the Telstra Dome in Melbourne and the excitement started. In the meanwhile we bought DVD's and Cd's every month as part of our budget and couldn't get enough. His music became like an addiction in our everyday living - and we started counting the months in June 2008 as it was only 5 months and we fly to Australia. God decided NO, my last sister passed away on 19 July 2008 and left 3 minor boys (orphans as their dad passed away in 1996 at a very young age) which we took in as we are the only living family for the three. The week after her death, we evacuated her house and rented a trailer to transport the smaller stuff to our house. When we took back the trailer, we stopped at my daughter Yolandi's house to say hello, I had a very very bad fall on their trampoline and broke my back (on 3 places) on the height of impact right through the trampoline. Needless to say - months in hospital and ICU we lost every cent we paid as we could not fly to Australia and with God's grace I recovered in such a manner that I can walk again but cannot sit for longer periods than one hour. That year of 2008 Christmas, our youngest daughter Amanda and her husband Charles gave us Australia DVD and Yolandi and her husband Gerhard, gave us 100 greatest moments and The Homecoming (Maastricht). 26 December 2008 we watched Homecoming and my husband Ludwig said: It was God's will that we couldn't see him in Australia, he want us to see Andre in his hometown in the Netherlands. That same evening I went on the website, saw he was in Maastricht in July 2009 and voila, booked 2 seats in row 17 for 13 July 2009. All my specialists did intensive checks on me and gave me the word go for flying in July and Air France really went out of their way to accommodate me on the flight to prevent sitting 12 hours from South Africa. We arrived in Maastricht 12 July 2009 - needless to say on cloud 9. Had the time of our life - lived in a castle 8km outside Maastricht Kasteel Vaeshartelt, toured through Holland and Belgium, spend a few days in France and on arrival back in South Africa, watched the dvd we bought in Maastricht: Ich Tanze mit dir in de himmel hinein and Maastricht II and the CD You'll never walk alone. At this stage, Andre Rieu and the JSO became a necessity in our daily living. The evening of 29 July 2009 I went on the website and saw he was in Vienna on 29 May 2010 -
WHERE ON EARTH CAN YOU EXPERIENCE BETTER EMOTION IN THE ECSTACY OF MUSIC THAN IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY OF MUSIC AS IN VIENNA? We booked our Air Tickets - again with Air France and then from Charles de Gualle flying a domestic flight to Vienna. First 5 days will be in Salzburg, then to Germany, then Switzerland and 28 May we will be going to Vienna, and the show 29 May in the Stadthalle. We will be flying back to South Africa on 1 June 2010. This was 10 months ago, and in December 2009 the tickets went on sale at Computicket here in South Africa THE KING OF WALTZ WILL BE PERFORMING IN SOUTH AFRICA!!!!! We were ecstatic - bought tickets in the 7th row - the photos are all on my profile - great great great day - we were a group of 26 ( my daughters and son-in-laws and friends) had the privilege of sharing God's gift to mankind - Music - presented by a gifted man ANDRE RIEU. And the 10 months passed so quickly, we are off in 5 days from today - to Austria, Switzerland and Germany. This is my story of the thing that I love most in life: MUSIC - because music is the only way to express one's feelings without saying a word and as J.S. Bach said: 'I only play the notes as they are written, it is God who makes the music.' and Andre Rieu replied to Hanlie Relief in an interview with our local Sunday Newspaper - Rapport - before his shows in South Africa: 'If Johann Strauss could stand in front of you Andre, what would you say to him'. and Andre Rieu replied: 'I would ask him: Do I do it right, do I honour your music'. I cried, not because I was heartsore, because it is such humble words from such a great musician.
Program For South Africa
Seventy six trombones, Dark Eyes, Roses from the South, La Danza, Non ti scordar di me, Ole Guapa, Ave Maria (sung by Kimmy Skota) Gold and Silver, Gypsy Princess, Torna a Surriento, I'm off to Chez Maxim, Le Cygne, Ben, Heal the World, Hava Nagila hava, Memory (sung by Mirusia) In mir klingt ein lied (also Mirusia) The Blue Danube, You'll Never Walk Alone and then the encores: Radetsky March, Strauss and Co, Tula Baba (sung by Kimmy Skota) African Dream (Kimmy and Mirusia) Sarie Marais (traditional Afrikaans song) Amazing Grace ( with Manoe and the bagpipe)
More Photos To Come. . . .
Fully agree with everyhing you say. My husband and I enjoy watching Andre and his orchestra. We have over 50 dvd and cd's.
Wishing you a speedy recovery in your health.
Wow Ronel what a lovely lot of words you have shared with us , more lovely photos you have had a rough time,with Andre's music it seems like you are feeling a bit better, I often wonder does Andre'know what a Great Dose of Medicine He is & how many people he reaches, He's priceless really , the same applies to us He has touched us where nothing else could Thank You for shareing with us all, But from personal experience I'm not surprised, who is?????
That was lovely to read, and some wonderful photos. THANK YOU!
Wishing you well in your recovery.
Ronel, my friend, you have expressed emotions and feelings about your personal suffering that some of us find difficult to do. It was 'n great privilege to have met you in the queue to buy tickets for Andre's concert and I consider myself blessed to have met someone like you (and Ludwig) with your passion for life and music. God be with you on your journey to Vienna, and we pray for your safe return. What a moving story! Marianne Dijzel
What a wonderful touching story!
Thank you.
I would like to say the concerts in SA was great but I thought that the super bowl in Sun City did not do him any favors. There is better venues in Pretoria. But otherwise I am a fan.
Hello Ronel,
Thank you for sharing your story and your photos. I am always happy to hear that other people out there feel about Andre Rieu and his music the way I do. I go my first CD called Romantic Moments, back in 1998. I have been a fan ever since. You should really add this to you collection - it is really wonderful music.
One exited fan, I think we felt at the beginning the same way, in all your bad luck, you still got your dream come true, I enjoyed your story very much!!!
Dear Ronel,
Thank you for taking the time & effort to share your concert experience & photos.
Your eloquent report also shares your deep emotional attachment to Andre & the JSO, which comes across, loud & strong.
I think we all share many of the feelings & emotions which you expressed better than most
Here is a link to 17 high resolution photos that Ronel took during the concert:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bc_az/sets/72157623882466687/
Best Personal regards,
Bill in Arizona