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'Greatest Hits' Lives up to Its Title

Rocky Raccoon | Boise, ID | 03/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It' s easy to go into Rieu's `Greatest Hits' with the preconception that nearly any compilation produced wouldn't mesh well. Not so with his `Greatest Hits'. This DVD is superb for the selection as well as the sequence. Truly he has chosen some of his best work with the Johann Strauss Orchestra. It commemorates his thirtieth year onstage, but encompasses 14 releases of concert recording and film. It only takes one viewing (listening) to appreciate--as for the first time--the breathtaking scope of sounds, lighting, vibrancy--as well as the interplay and chemistry between the conductor, his orchestra, and the audience.

Given the fact that `Royal Dreams: The Best of Live in Concert' fused the best of his `Andre Rieu - Live at the Royal Albert Hall' performance with `Andre Rieu - La Vie Est Belle,' (`Life Is Beautiful' at Berlin's Waldbahne), we've already been given a sample of what it's like to experience the Maestro's work "in tandem". That project was less worthwhile because it lacked the intimacy and cohesiveness which are trademarks for an entire concert's offering. The music was terrific as always, but the two concerts were mostly a thematic match up--even though the format created a jarring shift from concert to concert. Besides the lighting from the selections at `La Vie Est Belle' was mostly substandard.

`Greatest Hits,' on the other hand, comprises twenty selections from his best concert DVD's. Coming off like a video collection, it is a stunning summation of his work. "Nun's Chorus," Mozart's "Adagio from Violin Concerto #3," "Air on a G String," and "Torselli Serenade" are simply exquisite. On the other hand "You Are My Heart's Delight," "Vienna, the City of My Dreams," and "O Fortuna" showcase Rieu and his orchestra doing their work with the grandeur of the concert halls in which they play. "The Gadfly" (from 'Romantic Moments') goes to show how much we can take those details (like Rieu's 1667 Stradivarius violin) for granted. Shuffling the deck for variety`s sake, the perfectionist intricacies of "The Gypsy Baron" and "Komm, Zigany," keep the collection fresh and without the danger of pigeon-holing his work.

`Greatest Hits' is easily recommended for the uninitiated as well as the casual Andre Rieu fan (if there is such a thing!), but it is also highly recommended for those Rieu aficionados who have all of his concert DVD`s. As I've indicated, it is a fresh look at his best moments from several concerts. Watching and owning several of his DVD concerts, I was struck at how even the most familiar songs become new on this collection. Some may quibble with a few of the selections and may find the entire DVD to be extraneous, but for many 'Greatest Hits' will reignite the original reactions one felt as they saw Rieu and company take the concert symphony from being a somber event to something vibrant and lively."

"Greatest Hits" Almost

P. Didur | 07/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I cringed when I saw this Andre Rieu DVD called "Greatest Hits", because the selections are always a matter of opinion. But Rieu has some clearly outstanding, unforgettable interpretations of songs that should be included. This DVD has some commendable choices, picking great performances from "100 Years of Strauss", "New Years in Vienna", "Live in Vienna", "La Vie Est Belle", "Dreaming", "Homecoming" and "Romantic Moments". But there is the glaring omission of two greatest hits - "Intermezzo Sinfonico" and "The Last Rose" from "The Flying Dutchman". Others notably absent are "The Godfather Theme" and "O Mio Babbino Caro" from "Romantic Paradise (Tuscany)" and "Red Rose Cafe" and "Chianti" from "Live in Dublin.""

Hits

Jan Simpelaar | Gilbert, AZ USA | 11/02/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Unfortunately I had 16 of the 20 songs on other DVD's I own. I thought the selection of "Greatest" was far from the best. Moreover, the clarity of many of them were not up to the standard of the originals! Several were too dark, some of the colors were bad, and some were fuzzy. I might be a little prejudiced since I got only four new tunes, and if another similar album is produced it must have the contents available before purchasing. Surely I would not have bought it if I had known the selections."