(Second review in Religion)

Andre Rieu, reviewed in this space some time ago.. He's Back.
Probably no Muricans would ever have heard about Rieu et al, except that - this is his 14th concert - on PBS - oft employed as fund raiser; also just.. featured. Elsewhere? I canna say what the consensus is, worldwide - but clearly the PBS entourage is fully smitten. And I do not think he drives a Ford Prefect - his castle likely would drop the trellis if..

Recap -
His Strad, his musicianship and the quality of all musicians, the Interesting young virtuosi he's unearthed from Brazil and other places - I mentioned before. Also said: he's a consummate Showman.

They travel, apparently a lot of the year - IIRC the only two US appearances were in San Jose (fund raiser for my fav atypical PBS station there - KTEH, who acquire many works that aren't on the National PBS menu.)

#14 is called The Homecoming.
And what it is, is superbly-done schmalz, a jingoistic p\ufffdan to his home town of Maastricht, Nederland. And with full audience participation of ~10K? (including \ufffd capella) + the artistry of the young town carilloneer.. collaborating in a splendid rendition of the Concierto de Aranjuez, that showpiece for the darkly mellifluous Fleugelhorn.)

It's all about ... whatever is the Dutch word for gem\ufffdtlichkeit. A Rock Concert for kids 6-90, with all the (glitch-free) modrin lectronic whizz-bangs of close-ups of the audience by cameras, seemingly right out of "The Light of Other Days"? artists singing, dancing - displayed on Two gigundo video screens + fireworks and sophisticated lighting. And ya gets to hear the Lullaby (Brahms) played on a Strad + one of those Brazilian divas doing The Song of Vilga. And ending on an open-throat pianissimo I'd guess was a high-E.

Maybe this sort of transmogrified animated full orchestra, with ladies in ball gowns is what it takes to reintroduce MM-century children to the entire range of instruments - especially those << middle-cla$$ ones who have never heard one live, and aren't apt to. They can observe that it is all rilly great Fun, when you bend the rulez for comportment, too.

But even as a kind of travelogue Happening, IMO it Works. I expect it's making the rounds in your PBS schedule. (The time-lapse of setting up this thing in the town's main square - opens the play.)