World premiere for Hopkins waltz

A waltz penned by actor Anthony Hopkins has been performed in Vienna for the first time.

The live performance of the piece called “And the waltz goes on” by Andre Rieu and his orchestra at Belvedere Palace on Sunday was a world premiere.

Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs,” “The Human Stain”), who has composed music for many years, revealed today (Thurs) he has admired Rieu for a long time. “It’s a dream come true for me that Andre performed (my waltz) with his orchestra,” the Hollywood star told the BBC.

Rieu is one of the most successful violinists of classical music in the world today. While his tours draw hundreds of thousands of fans around the globe year after year, many critics have panned him for his allegedly cheesy approach to works by Johann Strauss and other celebrated composers.