When he came on the scene in the 1970s in his native Netherlands, conductor/violinist
Andre Rieu tried to become a modern-day "Waltz King," bringing Viennese music to a modern-day crossover environment. What made his music so popular is that he built intelligently on this foundation, incorporating popular styles of various kinds into the mix in a way that seemed natural.
Happy Days, which marks
Rieu's 70th birthday (the title simply refers in general to
Rieu's career), surveys a range of these styles rather than focusing on a single theme. As such, it offers a mix of something like what might be heard in a
Rieu concert, and it makes as good a place as any to start with this phenomenally popular artist for those who haven't encountered him before. Waltz, polka, and operetta are present, but they flow seamlessly into the likes of
Happy Days Are Here Again. The mark American music has left on
Rieu's presentations is apparent in instrumentally conceived pieces as well as songs;
Leroy Anderson's
Buglers Holiday allows
Rieu to indulge his favorite device of turning his fine brass loose. Pieces come in various lightly sketched ethnic flavors. The album won't offer much that's new for confirmed
Rieu fans, but even they may find that
Rieu's
Johann Strauss Orchestra has been honed over the years; among light music groups by now it's rivaled only by
Mantovani's famous band. Whatever one thinks of
Rieu, it's hard to argue that he's lost even a step. ~ James Manheim
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