The Maastricht Experience 2010

I arrived in Maastricht after a long trip flying from Madrid to Brussels and then by train to Liege, where I had to change to another train to Maastricht. This was on Friday, July 16^th. My hotel was the beautiful Amrath Grand Hotel de L’Empereur ,just in front of the Train Station. A little far from the center of the city but not so much. It’s a beautiful town and you can walk easily enjoying the landscape, the Maas River and the bridges.

On Saturday morning, the day of “my” concert, I went to the Vrijthof Square, where many people were already cleaning and preparing the chairs for the concert of that night. It was around 11 A.M. The atmosphere was really nice. Lots of people walking down the streets in the center, shopping, taking pictures, etc. All the restaurants and cafes around the Vrijthof were full of persons drinking and eating, I don’t know if that was a late breakfast, an early bird lunch or maybe a brunch, but everybody seemed happy and glad to be there.

The weather was warm but as usual in the Netherlands and Belgium, changed all the time: it was cloudy and grey and suddenly appeared the sun or perhaps a little rain until late in the afternoon when André magic’s control of the weather appeared once more and the sky remained clean and the sun shining.

I arrived in Vrijthof around 8.30 P.M., about 1 hour before the concert, because I know that there are chances to see the musicians and singers. Well, I was lucky! You can see by the pictures that I saw a lot of them, including Mirusia, who is a very kind young lady. She signed a lot of pictures and talked to the people. André came out suddenly, already dressed up, with his violin under one of his arms, and made an interview for television with Peter Wilkinson, from Australia.

André remained there until the beginning of the concert, watching everything with his“eagle” eyes not missing a single detail. He was kind as usual, smiled a lot,talked to the people there, made jokes, listened to his son, Pierre, who went to his side many times and spoke to him reservedness. André seemed very relaxed, like knowing that everything was under control and the concert would be perfect.

Finally he sent us –the people who still stayed there- to our seats because it was 9.15 P.M. I searched for mine and discovered that was the worst seat I ever had in one of his concerts, totally on the left side and too far from the stage. When I bought the ticket the system didn’t let me choose my seat like other times, and gave me the best available place at that moment. Well, when I finally got there, it was a really bad location. Last year I was in a very much better place, row 6, just in front of the stage, a perfect seat.

Anyway I have one of the big screens near and I saw the concert from there because the stage was really so far to appreciate something.

Most of the pictures were taken from that screen and after the “Radetzky March”, I walked to the front of the stage as other people did, and stayed there until the end.

About the concert.

It began at 9.31 P.M. (yeah, 1 minute late, André! LOL) and finished after more than 3 hours full of music and joy, with just a little break of 10 minutes at 10.40P.M.

What can I say that you doesn’t already know?

I forgot one or two pieces they played for sure, but the program was this:

76 TROMBONES

DARK EYES (which is really BLACK EYES but they translated as DARK)

HUP HOLLAND HUP (after a few jokes about the recent Football World Cup)

MATINATA (An Italian“canzonetta”) followed by O SOLE MIO (by The PlatinTenors)

FLIEGERMARSCH

AVE MARIA (a very touching performance by Kimmy Skota, the South African singer, who deserved the standing ovation the audience gave her)

HEAL THE WORLD (performed byThe Platin Tenors, Kimmy Skota, Mirusia, Carmen Monarcha and an African Children Choir)

A MEDLEY OF SOUTH AFRICAN SONGS (played by the Children, really great, including a wonderful version of the famous PATA PATA, a worldwide hit by Miriam Makeba from around1967)

MY AFRICAN DREAM (by Kimmy Skota)

For the second part, after a little waiting for some people to take seat again, André was singing and the JSO playing from the stage the well known march from the movie“The Bridge on the River Kwai”

Then, 4 German songs in a very Berlin way from the 20’s Cabaret style, funny and beautiful, by the BERLIN COMEDIAN HARMONIST GROUP with their usual talent:

HALLO, WAS MACHST DU HEUT’ DAISY (Hello, what do you do to Daisy)

MEINKLEIER GRÜNER KAKTUS (My Small Green Cactus)

IN EINEMKüHLEN GRUNDE (In a Cool Reason)

DAS IST DIE LIEBE DER MATROSEN (This is the Dear of the Sailors)

(The above translations from German to English are maybe not entirely right, but they’re just to give an idea about the meaning of the songs)

THE SWAN (with a touching solo by Tanya Darwahl)

HABANERA (from CARMEN, performed passionately by a beautiful and perfect Carmen Monarcha dressed up with a furious red long dress that fit her as a glove)

HAVA NAGILA (Andre presented the talented one & only Manoe Konings, very well appreciated by the people, who showed her skills playing this piece)

MEMORY(from CATS, by Mirusia)

HALLELUJAH (by The Platin Tenors, Carmen Monarcha, Kimmy Skota, Mirusia and the Berlin Comedian Harmonist Group)

THE BLUE DANUBE (well, you know, a classic among all the classic waltzes)

RADETZKY MARCH

STRAUSS & CO. (THE USUAL MEDLEY WITH THE VERY WELL KNOWN WALTZES)

AULD LANG SYNE

HUP HOLLAND HUP (yes,again)

THE APPEARENCE OF DJ OTZI, who performed LA OLA WALTZER , HUP HOLLAND HUP and SWEET CAROLINE along with the audience

VIVA HOLLANDIA

MAASTRICHT ANTHEM

MASTRICHT, CITY OF JOLLY PEOPLE

ADIEU MEIN KLEINER GARDEOFFIZIER

LULLABY

It was a superb concert. I’m already wishing that next July come soon because I have my ticket to go again, and hope this time my seat will be better, but anyway these Maastricht’s concerts are always like a big, fun party, even when you don’t know a word of Dutch, like me. It doesn’t matter.

It’s a unique experience and I strongly recommend to attend at least one of these in a lifetime. I know they say this is simple and it’s not easy at all, there are so many troubles to deal with and the economic issues are difficult. I know that perfectly and I’m very happy for myself because I live in Europe for the last three and a half years and that’s the reason why it is easier for me to follow André during his concerts here. It’s completely different for his fans from U.S,Canada, Australia, etc. because they’re only the chance to see him when he’s touring those countries.

When I was living in mine, Argentina, I never thought that I could see André live in a concert someday. I didn’t even imagine such a thing! I was glad enough with my DVD’s and all the material I can get from the Internet.

And look at me now! The last Maastricht concert it must be the 9 or 10 André’s live performances I attended since I’m in Europe. I’m very lucky, I know, and it’s a pleasure to share my memories and pictures with all of you.

Sorry again for the delay but this thing with my eyes didn’t let me write sooner.

Hugs and love,

Patricia

Ed. Note:  My apologies also for this nice report being so late.  Although Patricia sent the report it was not received and as soon as we got in touch I immediately started on it.