The staggering popularity of Dutch violinist
André Rieu, generated by European concert extravaganzas and frequent appearances on the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service television network, has resulted in a plethora of recordings difficult for the casual buyer to sift through. This 2008 release is one of the frontline group issued by his label, Denon, and it might be regarded as one of the best in the set even if it is not quite typical of his work. For the real flavor of what has made
Rieu a sentimental favorite, try one of the discs emanating from his home base (and hometown) of Maastricht, such as Andre Rieu in Wonderland. Live in Vienna was recorded at the Hofburg Palace, the birthplace of Marie Antoinette and the seat of Austrian imperial power. The music is accordingly all Viennese (or almost all; the climactic number is "The Sound of Music"), in contrast to
Rieu's usual mixed bag. This works well for him, which is unsurprising considering that he started out as an interpreter of waltzes by the
Strauss family who did much to generate a waltz revival in western Europe. The opening Tritsch Tratsch Polka shows his ability to put some zip in the music of
Johann Strauss II, even with his current, rather bloated ensemble. Although
Rieu's "Mozart Medley" is entitled Eine kleine Nachtmusik, it actually consists of a potpourri of tunes, which won't win him any points. Much of the program is drawn from Viennese operetta, and he has a natural way with the popular dance rhythms underlying these pieces. A minus for non-German-speaking listeners is the absolute lack of any texts in what is mostly a vocal program, but the disc makes for pleasant listening nonetheless. It's a livelier production than the
Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's recordings, and in general it's a worthy addition to the collection of recordings catering to those with a taste for Old Vienna. Denon's engineers deliver an impressive sense of his ensemble's personal presence in a live recording situation.