NETHERLANDS: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON AN AMSTERDAM CANAL ENJOY AN ANNUAL FLOATING MUSIC CONCERT

Record ID: 391900

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ON AN AMSTERDAM CANAL ENJOY AN ANNUAL FLOATING MUSIC CONCERT
  • Date: 18th August 2001
  • Summary: FLOATING CONCERT, AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (AUGUST 18, 2001) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARCADI VOLODOS SAYING: "The atmosphere is that of a party. It is very lively and the people are very enthusiastic. It is very happy with a lot of people partying."
  • Embargoed: 2nd September 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVABJAKGZ1QZ3XWI8608O9W9A8TT
  • Story Text: As evening fell in Amsterdam last Saturday, thousands of people sailed into the water city to enjoy an annual floating music concert in a bustling canal.
    For Dutch concert-goers old and young, it was a Saturday night to remember.
    Held afloat a platform in Amsterdam's "Canal of the Prince", the classical music concert drew an audience of thousands, many of whom arrived by sail boats and congested the city's waterways.
    To secure a spot close to the floating podium, some people had arrived days in advance . Others sat for hours on the cobbled-stone streets, dining and wining amongst a growing crowd as they waited for the concert to start.
    Not only were Amsterdammers having a good time crowding out the canal and getting merry under the setting sun, the open-air concert also offered startling performances by world-class performers.
    In this 20th anniversary event, three young talented musicians opened the show with pieces by Schuman, Bach and Ravel. The crowd fell to a hush while residents along the canal leaned out of windows to enjoy the classical tunes coming from the canal.
    "You can `t compare this with anything in the world,"
    said one man in the audience.
    As the night fell, people lit candles and oil lamps, creating a fairy- tail atmosphere.
    The highlight of the night was however an hour of solo performance by the famous Russian pianist, Arcadi Volodos.
    The Russian, world-famous since his debut-performance in 1996 in New York, impressed the audience with his dazzling interpretation recital of Schubert, Rachmaninov and Fliszt.
    Although it's not his first concert in Amsterdam, Volodos had never played to a floating crowd in the heart of the city.
    "It was really like a party, the people were so lively,"
    said the pianist after his concert.
    The concert on the Prinsengracht would not have been the same without the final piece being the popular Amsterdam anthem: " Canals of Amsterdam."
    Holding lighters and sticks of sparkling fire, people swayed and danced to the wind orchestra.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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