Saturday, April 14, 2012

Apropos of Nothing

via email:

 I received this e-mail yesterday from Betty Anonymous.  I'd just like to go on record: We were herding van der Stevejincks around Utah, Idaho, Oregon AND Washington, I was making lemon filled cupcakes not pies, it wasn't a church bazaar - it was a talent show, I wasn't making cookies for scouts, I was preparing lessons for my seminary class (we're currently studying the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament...which is a whole other kettle of fish), and with all that, I've been slacking in the blogging department...which is why I adore getting post submissions from any (and all) of our readers.  Enjoy the article and make sure to check out the youtube video!
Betty Debbie
 
Dear Betty Debbie,

I have a new little post for TUJD, if you think the other Bettys might be interested. If you are busy herding the van der Stevejinck clan through the wilds of Washington(?), baking pies for the church bazaar, cookies for scouts parents meeting, or writing your own posts, remember this will keep.

We all know the Great Betty loved music – and so do I. Although I have to admit to a rather un-bettyesque liking for Bach. – But that is neither here nor there. (Whatever that means. Hehehe.)
I was looking for a clip on YouTube and chanced upon a clip from an Andr̩ Rieu concert performed in Maastricht in the Netherlands. The interesting thing about it is that Andr̩ Rieu speaks in a local dialect. (It is not Dutch. Although it sounds similar. Some words are more similar to German than Dutch. РJust how many languages do they have in the Netherlands anyway? Not to mention dialects.)
Anyway, I rather like the music and thought I would share it with you.

By the way, André Rieu would not have made an RDD, his hair is too long. But, in younger years, he would have been the perfect cast for the no-good younger brother or ne’er-do-well cousin. (actually, financially they did do well, didn’t they). Rieu even has the name for it: cousin André in An Unlikely Romance. Ha!
Enjoy the music. (I particularly enjoyed watching Anthony Hopkins during the performance.)

Betty Anonymous
 
The other day I wanted to see and hear And the Waltz Goes On, a waltz composed by Sir Anthony Hopkins. And I found this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVB2mfUQqh4
 video clip. There are Dutch subtitles because André Rieu speaks Mestreechs, a local dialect/variant of Limburghish spoken in his hometown Maastricht alongside the Dutch language and the local variant of Dutch.
André Rieu says a couple of months ago his New York office called him up saying there was someone on the phone, who said he was a fan and that he had composed a waltz and wanted Rieu to play it.
"Now, I can tell you I get such phone calls quite often. And letters, too, from people saying I am such a big fan and I have composed a waltz and you have to play the waltz for me. But I can also tell you that, through the years, my experience has taught me that still no new Johann Strauss has ever turned up. And that I still find the music of the good maestro himself the most beautiful."
But when he heard the name of the man who was on the phone he almost fell off the chair and he asked, "Is it really him?" "Yes, it is really him." And then they put him through and he talked to him on the phone, and the man had such a friendly voice and was such a friendly.person And he told Rieu that fifty years ago, before he became an actor, he was a musician. And he composed a waltz. And that he had never let anybody hear the waltz. And that the waltz had never been performed. And that he had seen André Rieu on American tv and said, "You have to play the waltz."
And then Rieu said, "Ok, send me the music." And they recorded the waltz for him and mailed it to him. And he responded straight away and said he found it so beautiful. He was in tears.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is an unbelievably beautiful waltz. ..."


Bettys, I am sure the Venerable Betty would have enjoyed listening to Sir Anthony’s waltz.
Betty Anonymous

11 comments:

  1. Oh my, Betty Annonymous. Thank you so much for this. It was lovely. I had not heard of Andre Rieu but am a fan of Sir Anthony... he was driving by my son's college the other day, saw the church tower and wondered what it was so he stopped in and gave the kids an hour long Q&A. It's on youtube and he was just lovely. Very down to earth for such a famous man. He is quite a composer too!
    I've been so busy this year I've mostly been lurking without posting, but I couldn't pass this one up. Nice to chat with you Bettys. :-)

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    1. Betty Cyndi,
      Today I looked again at part of the question-and-answer session with Sir Anthony. He is such a lovely person. And when he talks - spellbinding - all the little details he weaves into his speech. He must have the most amazing memory - well, as an actor I suppose he needs to have one. It was very interesting. And the students asked intelligent questions.
      Which reminds me - asking intelligent questions is a requirement for any self-respecting RDD's wife, isn't it?
      Uncertain Summer
      ... a dinner which Lien had miraculously managed to hold back for an hour without ruining any of it, and over it, Gijs told her about his day at some concourse or other; Serena listened carefully, asking intelligent questions ...
      And they go one step further.
      All Else Confusion
      ... She would pay for dressing, he could see her in his mind's eye at the foot of his table, entertaining his guests, running his house without fuss, listening intelligently to what he had to say. ...

      Anyway, I have enjoyed "listening intelligently" to Sir Anthony. Thank you for mentioning the YouTube clip.
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2IW08L1gLY
      Betty Anonymous

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    2. Gorgeous campus!
      Beautiful church.
      "Shangri-La", indeed.
      Betty Anonymous

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  2. OK... for some reason, Google thinks I'm my husband today, silly Google. The above comment is from Betty Cyndi, who should be ashamed of not having been very active, but still reads the blog most days and is still very fond of all of you and Betty neels.

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  3. That was beautiful Betty Debbie, thank you for sharing it with us. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have been there in the audience that night?

    Betty von Susie

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  4. Make that - thank you Betty Anon for sending it to Betty Debbie so that she could post it for us.

    Betty von Susie

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  5. That was awesome!

    Betty AnoninTX

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  6. Such lovely music, and what a surprise!

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  7. Very nice! Ball gowns on sitting musicians have got to be a first for me.

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  8. What a lovely rendition. I had already heard the waltz on his CD but it was so much better in this performance. Have been to two of his concerts both in Limburg and here in Australia. Great entertainer. And yes he would make a great character in one of Betty's book he is very cheeky on stage and could imagine him playing the part of a "rake". This was the part of Holland I was born in, so if you get the chance borrow his CD's or DVD's from your local library.

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  9. Yes the girls have beautiful gowns which they wear at each concert and they are all owned by Andre as he provides them. Not your normal classical concert, they have lots of fun and get up to all sorts of shenanigans, especially the guys, which makes it so much more enjoyable.

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