Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester Return to Carnegie Hall 3/4

A great hit at Carnegie Hall's citywide Berlin in Lights festival in fall 2007, German crooner Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester return to Carnegie Hall on Thursday, March 4 at 8:00 p.m. in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Featured as the opening concert of Berlin in Lights, Raabe and his band flawlessly recreate the German cabaret music from the Weimar Republic of the 1920s and ‘30s. The recording of that Carnegie Hall performance, entitled Tonight or Never, was released in 2008 and features such classic American and German standards as "I'm Singing in the Rain," "Moon of Alabama," "Ich Steh Mit Ruth Gut," "Cheek to Cheek," "Mein Kleiner Grüner Kaktus," and "Dream a Little Dream." The New York Times has said the members of the Palast Orchester "...play with a stylishness, grace and vitality..." and described Raabe as a "...wry, unsmiling and nonchalantly charismatic vocalist."

Founded in 1986 by the charismatic baritone Max Raabe, the Palast Orchester embodies the high style and musical glory of the 1920's and 1930's. The the group has been heard by adoring audiences in the US, Shanghai, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Vienna, Amsterdam, and Rome, performing over 150 concerts a year. A singer of incredible range, Raabe has a singular ability to capture the cunning rasp of the cabaret singer, the confident bel canto 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.

The repertoire of the Palast Orchester encompasses more than 500 songs including classics such as "I'll Kiss Your Hand, Dear Lady" and "You're the Cream in My Coffee" as well as American and mostly German standards such as "Ninon," "Salomé," "Irgendwo Auf Der Welt," and new stylistic adaptations of contemporary songs and original tunes including the breakthrough hit "No one Ever Calls, No one Has a Care for Me." Immediately following their world premiere debut concert at Berlin's Theaterball in 1987, the group was met with such enthusiasm that they received numerous invitations and began to tour frequently. Based in Berlin, the Palast Orchester performs roughly 30 concerts a year in their home city at the Berliner Waldbühne or in The Admiralspalast. They enjoy regular invitations to esteemed festivals including the Vienna and Montreaux Jazz Festivals, the Concertgebouew in Amsterdam, and concerts halls throughout Europe and Asia.

In 1997, the Palast Orchester celebrated their 10th anniversary with a performance for an audience of 20,000 at Berlin's Wald-bühne. In 2000, they released the album "Charming Weill" on BMG Classics which is an homage to composer Kurt Weill. They had the honor of opening the Viennese FestivAl Weeks in 2002 for an audience of 40,000, and, in the same year, the Palast Orchester made its US premiere at Royce Hall in Los Angeles and the Fox Theater in Atlanta. 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 2004, Max Raabe made his New York solo debut in two sold-out concerts at the Neue Galerie and also enjoyed return engagements in Los Angeles and Atlanta with his orchestra, adding 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, and to the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.

Program Information
Thursday, March 4 at 8:00 p.m.
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage
PALAST ORCHESTER
MAX RAABE, Vocalist

Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.

Ticket Information
Tickets priced at $28, $33, $41, $54, $72, and $79 are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.

For Carnegie Hall Corporation presentations taking place in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, a limited number of seats, priced at $10, will be available day-of-concert beginning at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:00 noon on Sunday until one hour before the performance or until supply lasts. The exceptions are Carnegie Hall Family Concerts and gala events. These $10 tickets are available to the general public on a first-come, first-served basis at the Carnegie Hall Box Office only. There is a two-ticket limit per customer.

In addition, for all Carnegie Hall presentations in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage a limited number of partial view (seats with obstructed or limited sight lines or restricted leg room) will be sold for 50% of the full price. For more information on this and other discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts.