Search - Andre Rieu: Live in Vienna on DVD

Barbara M. from DUSHORE, PA
Reviewed on 3/20/2015...

Andre Rieu at his best. A beautiful concert. The dancers waltzing to his music are a rare treat. Love this CD

1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

A Viennese Night with Andre Rieu!

Gorky | Planet Earth | 07/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a 2007 mid-summer concert which took place in front of imperial Hofburg Palace in the center of Vienna.



DVD (DVD9) is in Widescreen (16:9) format with DD5.1 and DD2.0 sound option. Andre Rieu speaks in German but subtitles are available. Main feature runs for 135mins. There are no extra features.



Playlist selection is wonderful with 25 classical hits. Some of them we know from other DVDs of Rieu, but there are some new pieces we will hear in this DVD. There are waltzes, polkas, arias and musical pieces. According to me highlights are All Strauss Waltzes, Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart Medley), The Sound of Music, and Arias. The Johann Strauss Orchestra is accompanied by Choir and joined by guest stars namely The Platine Tenors, Dogmar Koller, Carmen Monarcha, Carla Maffioletti, Mirusia Louwerse and Suzan Erens. They all have wonderful performances. Also the Ballet of the Vienna State Opera, the Vienna debutantes from the Elmayer Dance School joins the Viennese ambient with their waltzes.



One of the best of Andre Rieu's (according to me the other bests are Homecoming and the Schonbrunn Concerts). Especially if you love the waltzing themes, this one is for you with lots of waltzes in the heart of waltz-capital of Europe, Vienna. You will enjoy a real Viennese Night in your homes.



Tracklist:

1.Wiener Burger

2.Tritsch Tratsch Polka

3.Facher Polonaise

4.Fledermaus Quadrille

5.Komm Zigany

6.Csardas

7.Gold und Silber

8.Eine kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart Medley)

9.Mein Herr Marquis

10.Wolgalied

11.Perpetuum Mobile

12.Porgi Amor

13.Im Prater bluh'n wieder die Baume

14.Lippen schweigen

15.Schatzwalzer

16.Dein ist mein ganzes Herz

17.Ganz ohne Weiber geht die Chose nicht

18.Meine Lippen sie kussen so heiss

19.Morgenblatter

20.Ich muss wieder einmal in Grinzing sein

21.The Sound of Music

22.An der schonen blauen Donau

23.Radetzkymarsch

24.Strauss & Co

25.Wien du Stadt meiner Traume

26.Adieu, mein kleiner Gardeoffi zier"

His Best Concert in a very Long Time

M Smith | Hartford, CT | 09/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I feel that this is the best Andre Rieu concert in a while. I LOVED it and plan to wear out the disc as i did with Tuscany. What? You dont's have tuscany? Then get that one as well - you wont be disapointed. Andre Rieu - Tuscany"

' OUT OF THIS WORLD'

Dr. S. Mootien Pillay | FLOREAL, MAURITIUS | 10/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recieved this newly released DVD (30 Sept 2008) as a pleasant surprise gift from a very good friend of mine(EC)who also caught the virus of classical music being spread worldwide by Andre Rieu.



Overall,compared with previous Andre's Concert DVD's,there is a marked increase of the usual elegance and finesse in the innovated presentation of Andre Rieu being accompanied by the Johann Strauss orchestra and choir. It is more apparent when we consider the concert is being held in Vienna, the home of the Strauss family and the birthplace of the waltz.



The stage is set up in Michaeler Square on the doorsteps(literally) of the Imperial Hofburg Palace in Vienna city center. A big 'Bravo' to the Stage Designer Marianne & Johny Lochner for their innovation about setting up two dance floors,one on each side of the orchestra bay. An extension of the dance floors is inside the original magnificent dance floor of the Imperial Hofburg Palace with its numerous classical chandeliers. This latter is shown on widescreens provided for the spectators.As expected, the inside ballroom of the palace displays all the sumptuous splendour and grandeur as it did in the 19th Century when Johann Strauss was teaching the world and Queen Victoria to waltz!



The performers on the dance floors are the outstanding Ballet group of The Vienna State Opera, Thomas Elmeyer group of Debutante Couples and the Folk Opera group of Vienna. In the various appropriate traditional costumes they open the show/concert with a pre-Strauss era ,Church approved 'strict' Quadrille formation dancing which easily transport the spectators to the time and place.



Andre's brief historical account of how the Waltz caused 'all hell to break loose' and 'stormed the world' has his usually witty sense of humour.



The repertoire, once again , has been very carefully and appropriately chosen to reflect the time and place with the usual high standard.The first waltz is the 'Gold and Silver Waltz' which gives us an almost complete reconstruction of the original time and place when it was composed and played thereafter.



Throughout the concert/show the same standard is meticulously maintained.

The soloists adapt beautifully to that era. The manner in which Carmen,Carla and Suzan thank the audience has innovated in a more elegant way that belongs to that time.The Australian newcomer Mirusia has joined the group very smoothly . The new hairstyle of the soloists and members of the orchestra perhaps appear to be more suited for the 2007 midsummer one(the date of the concert) rather than one of that time.



I must accept that I fail to understand the short Moulin Rouge type of show at the end of The Platin's Tenors and The Soloists fantastic and serious interpretation from 'The Merry Widow'. Somehow I feel that these latter might not have felt at ease as they were still on stage.



Suzan Erens is ,once again, fabulous in her interpretation of 'Sound of Music ' which is a tribute to Austria where the movie was made in the midst of its breathtaking sceneries in the valleys of the Alps.



Carmen Monarcha's interpretation of 'Meine Lippen sie Kussen so heiss' displays an outstandingly perfect inovated stage show. She excels and surpasses herself with a high degree of impressive perfection.She very well deserves the standing ovation she gets from the orchestra,Andre and the audience.



The interpretation of 'The Waltz of All Waltzes' took new higher dimensions with the waltzing ( Floating and swaying) of the dancers on the dance floors on the sides of the orchestra bay. The costumes of Elmeyer's dancing group 'Debutante Couples' are perfectly appropriate and they manage the cheeky hesitation beats of Andre Rieu very well.They are outstanding again in 'Morgen bluner'.It is a pity that M.Krammer( the main cameraman) did not give us more wideangle views, from 60 degrees above the horizontal specially that the DVD is excellent in the 16:9 format.I feel we had too many closeups views and not enough of the orchestra together with the two dance floors.



With Andre's touch of humour he gets Thomas Elmeyer to issue an anti aging and increasing longetivity prescription to all concerned!



The usual cheerful,lively and joyful feeling among the members of the orchestra and choir and, of course, Andre's become contagious and overcome the spectators who joins in a swaying frenzy throughout and,more so,towards the end of the show.



The guest artist Dagmer Koller lives up very well to her name of 'La Grande Dame de Vienne' in her interpretation of 'Vienna,City of My Dreams'. She joins in the grande finale 'Adieu,mein kliner Gardeoffizier'.



There is a banner in the audience that summarises this very successful Concert/Show appropriately .It shows a picture of Andre and it reads "DON'T STOP". At least we have it for 135 minutes on DVD(containing extra tracks not shown on public television).



So enjoy it again and again....









"