André Rieu's The 100 Most Beautiful Melodies is a six-CD box set that offers a generous sampling of his lushly romantic performances with his world-famous Johann Strauss Orchestra.
The collection consists of recordings drawn from the vaults at Universal, and the great variety of instrumental classics, opera melodies, and popular film themes is sure to please his devoted fans.
Rieu is a showman, and he doesn't shy away from lavish arrangements, so the the music is quite rich and sweet, with an emphasis on the strings' vibrant sound, often featuring Rieu's impassioned violin solos.
But there are plenty of rousing pieces to balance the romance, and a Rieu set wouldn't be complete without several Strauss waltzes, a tribute from one waltz king to the other.
Because these recordings were made in many venues, the sound quality varies somewhat, and the physical packaging is a little Spartan, with only a thin cardboard slip cover housing two triple jewel cases.
Even so, this is a comprehensive survey of Rieu's most characteristic work, and it is a good introduction to his sparkling world.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Second WaltzDmitry Shostakovich | André Rieu | Play | 03:43 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 2 | Artist's LifeJohann Strauss II | André Rieu | Play | 07:00 | 16 MB | 40 MB |
| 3 | Thunder and LightningJohann Strauss II | André Rieu | Play | 02:37 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 4 | Village Swallows from AustriaJosef Strauss | André Rieu | Play | 06:15 | 14 MB | 37 MB |
| 5 | Roses from the SouthJohann Strauss II | André Rieu | Play | 07:47 | 17 MB | 47 MB |
| 6 | Blaze AwayAbe Holzmann | André Rieu | Play | 02:30 | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| 7 | The Third Man: ThemeAnton Karas | André Rieu | Play | 04:12 | 9 MB | 21 MB |
| 8 | Zorba's DanceMikis Theodorakis | André Rieu | Play | 03:07 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 9 | My WayPaul Anka, Claude François, Jacques Revaux | André Rieu | Play | 05:11 | 11 MB | 31 MB |
| 10 | Mon Amant de Saint-JeanLéon Agel, Emile Carrara, Émile Carrara | André Rieu | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 11 | Funiculi FuniculaLuigi Denza | André Rieu | Play | 02:16 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 12 | Ce N'est Qu'un Au Revoir | André Rieu | Play | 02:54 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 13 | Entree Des Gladiateurs | André Rieu | Play | 02:57 | 6 MB | 18 MB |
| 14 | Moulin Rouge, Paris Canaille | André Rieu | Play | 03:12 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 15 | Venez, Enfants, Approchez-Vous – Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant | André Rieu | Play | 02:42 | 6 MB | 14 MB |
| 16 | Vive Le Vent | André Rieu | Play | 02:15 | 5 MB | 14 MB |
| 17 | Oh Happy Day (Live) | André Rieu | Play | 05:53 | 13 MB | 41 MB |
| 18 | Oh When The Saints: Medley (Live) | André Rieu | Play | 09:15 | 21 MB | 66 MB |
| 77 mins | 177 MB | |||||
| 77 mins | 480 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leroy Anderson | Composer |
| 2 | Paul Anka | Composer |
| 3 | Virginie Aono | Concept |
| 4 | Harold Arlen | Composer |
| 5 | Johann Sebastian Bach | Composer, Original Material |
| 6 | Alexandra Bannelier | Concept |
| 7 | Irving Berlin | Composer |
| 8 | Georges Bizet | Composer |
| 9 | Luiz Bonfá | Composer |
| 10 | Alexander Borodin | Composer |
| 11 | Johannes Brahms | Composer |
| 12 | Emile Carrara | Composer |
| 13 | Charlie Chaplin | Composer |
| 14 | Frédéric Chopin | Composer |
| 15 | Frank Churchill | Composer |
| 16 | Luigi Denza | Composer |
| 17 | Nico Dostal | Composer |
| 18 | Friedrich von Flotow | Composer |
| 19 | Claude François | Composer |
| 20 | Julius Fucik | Composer |
| 21 | Danyel Gérard | Composer |
| 22 | Remo Giazotto | Composer |
| 23 | Yves Hubert Giraud | Composer |
| 24 | Charles Gounod | Composer |
| 25 | Edvard Grieg | Composer |
| 26 | Franz Gruber | Composer |
| 27 | Leigh Harline | Composer |
| 28 | Franz Joseph Haydn | Composer |
| 29 | Abe Holzmann | Composer |
| 30 | James Horner | Composer |
| 31 | Jo Huijts | Arranger, Composer |
| 32 | Maurice Jarre | Composer |
| 33 | Johann Strauss Orchestra | Orchestra |
| 34 | Anton Karas | Composer |
| 35 | Agustín Lara | Composer |
| 36 | Olivier Legoupil | Mastering |
| 37 | Michel Legrand | Composer |
| 38 | Franz Lehár | Composer |
| 39 | Alan Jay Lerner | Text |
| 40 | Jay Livingston | Composer |
| 41 | Andrew Lloyd Webber | Composer |
| 42 | Frederick Loewe | Composer |
| 43 | Louis Louiguy | Original Material |
| 44 | Henry Mancini | Composer |
| 45 | Fernando Marchetti | Composer |
| 46 | Pascual Marquina | Composer |
| 47 | Pietro Mascagni | Composer |
| 48 | Jules Massenet | Composer |
| 49 | Amanda McBroom | Composer |
| 50 | Cyrus Meher-Homji | Editing, Revision |
| 51 | Mehru Meher-Homji | Liner Note Translation |
| 52 | Marguerite Monnot | Composer |
| 53 | Naotaro Moriyama | Composer |
| 54 | Ennio Morricone | Composer |
| 55 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Composer |
| 56 | Jacques Offenbach | Composer |
| 57 | Édith Piaf | Composer |
| 58 | Gérard Presgurvic | Composer |
| 59 | Giacomo Puccini | Composer |
| 60 | Gregor Ramaekers | Photography |
| 61 | Maurice Ravel | Composer |
| 62 | Jacques Revaux | Composer |
| 63 | Tim Rice | Text |
| 64 | André Rieu | Arranger, Composer, Primary Artist, Violin |
| 65 | Joaquín Rodrigo | Composer |
| 66 | Gioachino Rossini | Composer |
| 67 | Nino Rota | Composer |
| 68 | Camille Saint-Saëns | Composer |
| 69 | Wayne Shanklin | Composer |
| 70 | Dmitry Shostakovich | Composer |
| 71 | Frank Steijns | Arranger |
| 72 | Johann Strauss II | Composer |
| 73 | Josef Strauss | Composer |
| 74 | Mikis Theodorakis | Composer |
| 75 | Chilu Tong | Design |
| 76 | Mexican Traditional | Composer |
| 77 | Charles Trénet | Composer |
| 78 | Giuseppe Verdi | Composer |
| 79 | Roland Vincent | Composer |
| 80 | Antonio Vivaldi | Composer |
| 81 | Emile Waldteufel | Composer |
| 82 | Gerhard Winkler | Composer |
| 83 | Sebastián Yradier | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |