- Max Raabe
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This article is about the German singer. For the American businessman, see Max Raab.
Max Raabe 
Background information Birth name Matthias Otto Born December 12, 1962
Lünen, Germany.Genres Cabaret, comedy, old style, orchestra Instruments Vocals, orchestra Years active 1992–present Website palast-orchester Max Raabe (born Matthias Otto,[1] December 12, 1962, Lünen, North Rhine-Westphalia) is a German singer. He is particularly noted as the founder and leader of the Palast Orchester.
Raabe developed an interest in the sound of German dance and film music of the 1920s and 1930s, such as the songs of the Comedian Harmonists, from seeing old films on television and from his parents' record collection.[2] He formally studied music at the Berlin University of the Arts, intending originally to become a baritone opera singer. He and 11 other students formed the Palast Orchester in 1985. The ensemble initially used music arrangements that Raabe found whilst shopping at various flea markets.[3] The orchestra worked for one year on learning these arrangements without any public engagements or performances.[4] The orchestra gave its first public performance at the 1987 Berlin Theaterball, in the lobby as a secondary act, but with such success that the audience left the ballroom to hear the orchestra's performance in the lobby.[5] Raabe and the Palast Orchester had a hit with his 1992 original, Schlager-styled song "Kein Schwein ruft mich an" ("No One Ever Calls, No One Has a Care for Me"; literal translation "No pig calls me"), a pop song in 1920s' style.
In addition to covers of vintage music, Raabe writes original songs and music, including film music. He and the orchestra have also created covers of modern pop songs in a 1920–1930s band style, including songs by Britney Spears, Tom Jones, and Salt'n'Pepa. Raabe has also made a number of cameo appearances, mostly as stereotypical 1920s and 1930s singers and entertainers, in a number of films by German directors, such as Der bewegte Mann (1994; English title "Maybe, Maybe Not"), Werner Herzog's Invincible (2001), and Wenzel Storch's Die Reise ins Glück (2004). His live theatre performances have included a 1994 appearance as Dr. Siedler in the Berlin 'Bar jeder Vernunft' version of The White Horse Inn, and 1999 performances as Mack the Knife in Kurt Weill and Bertholt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera alongside Nina Hagen.
Raabe first performed in the USA in Los Angeles in 2004.[6] In 2005, he had his first concert in New York City's Carnegie Hall. He and the Palast Orchester subsequently appeared at Carnegie Hall in 2007[7] and 2010. In 2011 Raabe produced an album, Küssen kann man nicht alleine (You cannot kiss alone), with former new wave musician and famous producer Annette Humpe, who also wrote the lyrics.[8]
Discography
- Die Männer sind schon die Liebe wert (1988)
- Kleines Fräulein, einen Augenblick (1989)
- Ich hör’ so gern Musik (1991)
- Kein Schwein ruft mich an (1992)
- Mein kleiner grüner Kaktus (1992)
- Wintergarten-Edition Live (1996)
- Dort tanzt Lu-Lu! (1996)
- Ich hör’ so gern Musik (1996)
- Bel Ami (1996)
- Music, Maestro, Please (1996)
- Die Dreigroschenoper (The Three penny opera) w. HK Gruber, Nina Hagen and Ensemble Modern (1999)
- 10 Jahre Palast Orchester mit seinem Sänger Max Raabe (1997)
- Krokodile und andere Hausfreunde (2000)
- Superhits (2001)
- Superhits Nummer 2 (2001)
- Heute Nacht Oder Nie ("Tonight or Never", 2008) – A 2CD set of the live performance of Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester at Carnegie Hall, November 2007, released on September 23, 2008.)
- Übers Meer (15.01.2010)
- Küssen kann man nicht alleine (2011) (with Annette Humpe)
References
- ^ "Sagen Sie jetzt nichts, Max Raabe". Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin. 2008. http://sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.de/texte/anzeigen/25739. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
- ^ "Max Raabe: Der Mann mit dem Palast Orchester". Stern. 2005-12-01. http://www.stern.de/kultur/musik/max-raabe-der-mann-mit-dem-palast-orchester-550763.html. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ Robert Levine (2005-11-29). "Keeping the Old Cabaret Alive in the Land of 'Cabaret'". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/29/arts/music/29caba.html?_r=1. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ Ronni Reich (2011-04-15). "Max Raabe and Palast Orchester perform at NJPAC on Sunday". The Star-Ledger. http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2011/04/max_raabe_and_palast_orchester.html. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ Barrymore Laurence Scherer (2010-03-01). "The Wunderbar Max Raabe". Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704625004575090001300666116.html. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ Jason Victor Serinus (2010-02-02). "The Musical Paradox of Max Raabe - An Interview". Playbill Arts. http://www.playbillarts.com/features/article/8320.html. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
- ^ Anthony Tommasini (2007-11-05). "Musical Days of Berlin (the City ... and the Irving)". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/arts/music/05max.html. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
- ^ Krekeler, Elmar (24 January 2011). "Max Raabe und Annette Humpe wollen den Pop retten" (in German). Welt Online. http://www.welt.de/kultur/musik/article12320680/Max-Raabe-und-Annette-Humpe-wollen-den-Pop-retten.html.
External links
- Max Raabe's home page (English and German)
- Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester on MySpace
- Opus3 Artists agency page
- Goethe Institute page on Max Raabe
- "Max Raabe's Palast Orchester: Timeless Elegance". All Things Considered (National Public Radio), 19 October 2008.
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra page on Max Raabe
- Helnwein Museum, "Marilyn Manson Marries Dita von Teese at Helnwein's Irish Castle. Helnwein is best man. 3 December 2005
- All About Jazz, "Max Raabe & Palast Orchester Release and US Tour". September 24, 2008
Categories:- 1962 births
- Living people
- People from Lünen
- German musicians
- Bandleaders
- Parody musicians
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