The album was released worldwide on 31 October 2011. It presents waltzes from around the world, including a "Valse Triste" (sad waltz) from Finland, a miniature waltz "La petite Valse" from France, a popular waltz tune that began life in Germany.[2][3]
The album is centered on a waltz composed by Welsh actor Anthony Hopkins. The waltz, called "And the Waltz Goes On" was composed by Hopkins in 1964.[4] A fan of the Dutch violinist, Hopkins's wife[4] sent his waltz to Rieu for consideration.[5][6]
Inspired by New Zealand's stunning landscape and the ‘life must go on’ attitude of its people in the face of the recent natural disasters, André composed a dreamy waltz together with his first violinist Frank Steijns entitled "Dreaming of New Zealand". The album includes both an instrumental version and one with English and Māori lyrics.[2]