André Rieu or Fleetwood Mac

As a classical musician, I was surprised to discover in 2024 that I liked both of these groups of musicians. I remembered André Rieu and his orchestra from years ago: a violinist who dressed up like Johann Strauss and played waltzes. Not really my cup of tea. But last year I tuned into Sky Arts by mistake, and watched a highly talented orchestra and singers performing wonderful music to a large and appreciative audience. I was amazed that it was André, whom I had ignored for over thirty years. I followed him up on YouTube and was knocked out by his big hit, the Second Waltz by Shostakovich, in the official 2020 version, performed in the big square in Maastricht, with 300 professional ballroom dancers. His DVD “Shall We Dance?” from which it was taken is worth watching all through. Everything from Beethoven to YMCA.
As for Fleetwood Mac, I heard a band performing a song called “The Chain” on YouTube, which I had never heard before. The lyrics were a bit strange but there was real passion in it. YouTube nudged me to see another version, by Fleetwood Mac, which was even better. I remembered them from Albatross in 1969, but knew little else about them. Their version on YouTube was from their 1997 reunion tour of the USA and was a live performance at Warner Brothers. The DVD of it is called “The Dance”, and it is excellent all the way through. Many of the songs come from their massive hit album of 1977 “Rumours”, made at a time when the members of the group all had emotional problems due the rock and roll lifestyle of those times. The strength of this album is that all the songs sprang from the intense emotions which they were feeling. “The Chain”, for example, was a sort of plea to stay together.
It is hard to think of two acts so different as these two, but what is in common between them is that they are both make music to very high standard in their own genre: both engage with and audience at a profound level and provide music to which people can relate.
I wonder how it would have gone if I could have arranged drumming competition between the astonishing Mick Fleetwood and the brilliant Marcel Falize, André’s head percussionist.
Must close now to practice a Bach fugue!

Post Views : 30