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
'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
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
's presentations is apparent in instrumentally conceived pieces as well as songs;
Leroy Anderson
's
Buglers Holiday
allows
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
fans, but even they may find that
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
, it's hard to argue that he's lost even a step. ~ James Manheim