Founded in 1986 by the charismatic baritone Max Raabe, Max Raabe & Palast Orchester embodies the high style and musical glory of the 20's and 30's. Based in Berlin, they currently perform over 150 concerts a year around the world celebrating this timeless music with uncanny precision, drama and irony. Max Raabe's art lies in revealing the enigmatic intelligence, ambiguity, universal power and complexity of the "German chansons" from the turbulent Weimar Republic. A singer of incredible range, Raabe has a singular ability to capture the cunning rasp of the cabaret singer, the confident belcanto hero, the carefree timbre of early jazz, and the falsetto of ragtime, all backed by his stellar 12-member band. With repertoire focused on German and American standards, they keenly remind us that between melancholy and irony, rebellion and resignation, elegy and farce there is often only half a measure, sometimes just a single note or a mere word. Max Raabe & Palast Orchester are slick and nostalgic and unmistakably modern through Raabe's skewed humor, sardonic wit and spot on interpretations ... read full bio
Founded in 1986 by the charismatic baritone Max Raabe, Max Raabe & Palast Orchester embodies the high style and musical glory of the 20's and 30's and has been heard by adoring audiences in The United States, Shanghai, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Vienna, Amsterdam and Rome performing over 150 concerts a year.
Max Raabe captures this timeless music with precision, urgency and irony. A singer of incredible range, he has a singular ability to capture the cunning rasp of the cabaret singer, the confident belcanto hero, the oily melodiousness of the revue beau, the carefree timbre of early jazz, as well as the falsetto of ragtime, all backed by his stellar 12-member band, many of whom have been with him from the beginning. Max Raabe's art lies in revealing the enigmatic intelligence, ambiguity, musical power and complexity of the "German chansons" from the turbulent Weimar Republic. In his amazing performances he keenly reminds us that between melancholy and irony, rebellion and resignation, elegy and slapstick there is often only half a measure, sometimes just a single note, or a mere word.
The repertoire of the Palast Orchester encompasses more than 500 songs including classics such as "I'll Kiss Your Hand, Dear Lady", "Cheek to Cheek", "You're the Cream in My Coffee" as well as more American and mostly German standards from that era such as "Ninon", "Salomé", "Irgendwo Auf Der Welt" and new stylistic adaptations of contemporary songs and original tunes such as his breakthrough hit "No one Ever Calls, No one Has a Care for Me."
Immediately following their world-premiere concert at Berlin's Theaterball in 1987, they were met with thunderous enthusiasm and in the following few years received numerous invitations and started to tour aggressively. The Palast Orchester, based in Berlin, performs roughly 30 concerts a year in their home city at the Berliner Waldbühne or in the Admiralspalast and enjoy regular invitations to such esteemed festivals and concert halls as Vienna Festival, Concertgebouew in Amsterdam, Montreaux Jazz Festival, throughout Europe and Asia.
In 1997 the Palast Orchester celebrated their 10th anniversary with an audience of 20,000 at Berlin's Wald-bühne. In 2000 the album "Charming Weill" was released on BMG Classics, a homage to the composer Kurt Weill, which was awarded the "Classic Echo;" and "Super Hits" replaced the Beatles as the "No.1" Album in the charts in Latvia. In 2002 the Palast Orchester had the honor of opening the Viennese Festival Weeks for an audience of 40,000 and in the same year his orchestra made its USA premiere at Royce Hall in Los Angeles and the Fox Theater in Atlanta GA. Since its premiere at Hamburg's Thalia Theater in August 2003 the lavish production "Palast Revue" with changing scenery, Palast ballet troupe and video backdrop has been seen by more than 300,000 people. In Spring 2004 Max Raabe made his New York debut in two sold-out solo concerts in the Neue Galerie on New York's elegant Upper East Side, and also enjoyed returns to Los Angeles and Atlanta with his orchestra and added San Antonio to his list of US premiere cities. In 2005 Max Raabe & Palast Orchester made their Carnegie Hall debut at Zankel Hall and also toured to Purchase NY (SUNY) and Philadelphia (Kimmel Center). Other USA tour dates include Oakland CA (Excelsior Center), La Jolla Music Society and Royce Hall, La Jolla, CA, County Performing Arts Center in Spring 2007. The highlight of the 2007season was a main-stage appearance at Carnegie Hall (New York), headlining the Berlin in Lights Festival in the Fall. In 2008 Max Raabe & Palast Orchester returned to the US with "Tonight or Never"; a breathtaking program featured at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Donor Gala, Pittsburgh, PA (Benedum Center), George Washington University, Washington DC (Lisner Auditorium), and the San Francisco Jazz Festival, San Francisco, CA (Paramount Theatre), these were some of the may highlights within the thirteen city tour. The 2008 season climaxed in New York City with four sold-out performances at the Neue Gallery, (Museum of German & Austrian Art).
"It's supposed to be elegant, tasteful nonsense," Raabe says of the Palast Orchester. "I liked the idea of standing on stage in elegant tails with the orchestra and celebrating such strong language as "Schwein" (pig) and "Sau" (swine). It was an elegant way of snubbing. It was supposed to be a one-time gag."
Upon experiencing their concerts one is compelled to try put a finger on what exactly is the formula for the success of this one-of-a-kind artist and orchestra. Is it the music? Is it the lyrics and the melodies? Could it be the pomp and circumstance of the 20s? Is it the musical seriousness or the ability to break up the poses with self-irony? Is it because of Max Raabe's charming manner or the elegance and smartness of his appearance? Perhaps it is because Max Raabe's own brand of old-world style is an art form alone and is his guide onstage and off.
