Palast Orchester
Encyclopedia
The Palast Orchester is a German orchestra, based in Berlin
, constituted in the manner of dance bands of the 1920s and 1930s. Its repertoire specialises in cabaret and popular songs of the Weimar period in Germany and in American popular songs of the same era. The orchestra performs around 120 concerts per year.
Max Raabe
founded the orchestra with fellow students at the Berlin University of the Arts
in 1985. The ensemble initially used music arrangements that Raabe found whilst shopping at various flea markets. The orchestra worked for one year on learning these arrangements without any public engagements or performances. 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.
The members of the orchestra are all men, with the single exception of the violinist, who has always been female. The violinists who have served with the Palast Orchester have included:
As of 2011, the current full roster of the orchestra is:
The performances by the orchestra are an homage to composers of the Weimar era such as Walter Jurmann
, Fritz Rotter, Will Meisel, Charles Amberg, Günter Schwenn, Adolf Steimel and Ralph Maria Siegel. In addition to its performances of vintage German and American popular songs, the orchestra has also performed contemporary music in the same musical style as the earlier songs, including covers of songs by Britney Spears
, Tom Jones
, and Salt'n'Pepa.
The orchestra made its Carnegie Hall
debut in 2005. The ensemble returned to Carnegie Hall in November 2007, and the performance was recorded for commercial release on the album Heute Nacht oder nie - Live In New York. The orchestra has collaborated with musicians such as HK Gruber, Peter Lohmeyer, and Heino Ferch
. In other media, the orchestra appeared in the 1994 film Der bewegte Mann.
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, constituted in the manner of dance bands of the 1920s and 1930s. Its repertoire specialises in cabaret and popular songs of the Weimar period in Germany and in American popular songs of the same era. The orchestra performs around 120 concerts per year.
Max Raabe
Max Raabe
Max Raabe is a German singer. He is particularly noted as the founder and leader of the Palast Orchester....
founded the orchestra with fellow students at the Berlin University of the Arts
Berlin University of the Arts
The Universität der Künste Berlin, UdK is a public art school in Berlin, Germany, one of the four universities in the city...
in 1985. The ensemble initially used music arrangements that Raabe found whilst shopping at various flea markets. The orchestra worked for one year on learning these arrangements without any public engagements or performances. 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.
The members of the orchestra are all men, with the single exception of the violinist, who has always been female. The violinists who have served with the Palast Orchester have included:
- Michaela Hüttich (1986–1998)
- Emily Bowman (1998–2000)
- Hanne Berger (2001–2007)
- Cecilia Crisafulli (2007–present)
As of 2011, the current full roster of the orchestra is:
|
Banjo In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new... , balalaika Balalaika The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass... ) |
The performances by the orchestra are an homage to composers of the Weimar era such as Walter Jurmann
Walter Jurmann
Walter Jurmann was an Austrian-born composer of popular music renowned for his versatility who, after emigrating to the United States, specialized in film scores and soundtracks....
, Fritz Rotter, Will Meisel, Charles Amberg, Günter Schwenn, Adolf Steimel and Ralph Maria Siegel. In addition to its performances of vintage German and American popular songs, the orchestra has also performed contemporary music in the same musical style as the earlier songs, including covers of songs by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
, and Salt'n'Pepa.
The orchestra made its Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
debut in 2005. The ensemble returned to Carnegie Hall in November 2007, and the performance was recorded for commercial release on the album Heute Nacht oder nie - Live In New York. The orchestra has collaborated with musicians such as HK Gruber, Peter Lohmeyer, and Heino Ferch
Heino Ferch
Heino Ferch is an award-winning German film and television actor.-Life:The son of a cargo vessel skipper, he was on stage for the first time in his life at the age of 15, while he was still attending grammar school...
. In other media, the orchestra appeared in the 1994 film Der bewegte Mann.
Selected Discography
|
|
External links
- Official Palast Orchester German-language homepage
- 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
- Jason Victor Serinus, "The Musical Paradox of Max Raabe- An Interview". Playbill Arts, 2 February 2010