Sir Anthony Hopkins is undoubtedly one of the most legendary, talented and appreciated figures in the history of cinema, TV and theater. A little known fact about him is that he’s really good at what we here at Drooble are mostly interested in – music. Hopkins has been fascinated with the art of music all his life and apparently has acquired some mad skills no one even knew of until quite recently. The event that changed the world’s perspective on the beloved Welsh actor was the release of another legend’s new album – brilliant violinist and conductor André Rieu’s “And the Waltz Goes On”.

“And the Waltz Goes On” is also the name of the piece around which the Dutch musician’s whole album revolves. It’s a mesmerizing waltz, composed by young Anthony Hopkins himself back in 1964! If you don’t care much for the exclamation mark, you should maybe just really listen to the piece first:

Sir Anthony Hopkins: “I’ve been composing music all my life and if I’d been clever enough at school I would like to have gone to music college. As it was I had to settle for being an actor.”

He graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 1957, spent two years doing his national service in the British Army and then moved to London, where he attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. It obviously turned out great but his breathtaking music composition didn’t see the light of day until recent times.

The premiere of the beautiful “And the Waltz Goes On” was in 2011 when Rieu performed it with his orchestra in the Palace Belvedere in Vienna, Hopkins and his wife being special guests in the audience. This waltz has always had a special meaning to the actor, for it symbolizes his life-long connection with music and the premiere was a truly important event in his life.  He has also stated that he remembers everything about the exact day in which he wrote his waltz more than half a century ago – the weather, the mood, the lighting, his friends’ words, urging him to write the piece down. Well, he did. Years later he was watching an Andre Rieu performance on TV with his wife and told her he wished that someday his music would be played by the Dutch virtuoso.

Maestro André Rieu

“I’ve been a great admirer of André Rieu for several years. He’s a great musician. My wife and I had the same dream of meeting him one day, so I’ve sent him some music that I wrote. It’s a dream come true for me that André performed it with his orchestra. I’m totally knocked out by the result. It’s even more than I expected!”, commented Hopkins on their collaboration.

Both have said that a real friendship formed as a result of the experience and the two have become pretty close. Rieu fondly talks about the teacups Hopkins bought for his family:

“When we drink tea together we think of Anthony and his wife.”

In other interviews the actor has admitted that it was his wife who had secretly sent his music to Rieu. That’s why he was really surprised to receive a call from the famous musician who agreed to play the waltz. This one is not so hard to believe as Hopkins’ wife Stella Arroyave has often shed tears of joy and appreciation for her husband’s work which you can see in some of the available videos of the couple listening to the piece together.

Sir Hopkins and his wife listen to the waltz for the first time

This is not the only actual musical achievement the movie titan can be proud of. He released a single in 1986. The song was called “Distant star” and it reached No. 75 in the UK Singles Chart. In 2007 the actor announced he would go off-screen temporarily to tour around the world. Concert hall music is, obviously, also in the Hollywood star’s repertoire. He has collaborated as a composer with Stephen Barton who orchestrated his pieces, including “The Masque of Time” which premiered with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 2008.

Whether you’re looking at the Welshman’s shining career as one of the world’s most loved actors or his immense musical talent, culminating in his beautiful collaboration with André Rieu, one thing is sure – Sir Anthony Hopkins will live forever.

If you’re interested in the sheet music for “And the Waltz Goes On”, YouTube user Mercuziopianist has done a wonderful job of posting it here for free.

And if you’re up for more music-related stuff, we’ll be waiting over at Drooble to show you around 🙂