Machine - Songs with Classical Strings and a String Quintet

His first No. 1 hit on the radio charts came 53 years ago, and his very first album was released 50 years ago. A lot has happened since then. Dieter “Maschine” Birr, the heart and soul of the Puhdys from 1969 to 2016, looks back on nearly six decades of success, during which more than 22 million records were sold, nearly 5,000 concerts were played in 21 countries, and some 500 songs were written. Many of them have become true classics—hits for several generations. What’s remarkable is that even the breakup of the cult band couldn’t dent Maschine’s popularity; his concerts are still sold out, and all of his solo albums have landed in the top quarter of the official album charts, with his last two, “Große Herzen” (2023) and “Mein Weg” (2024), each reached No. 4.

There are certainly many reasons for this decades-long success: his passion, his musical craftsmanship, his ability to compose irresistible songs and write authentic lyrics, his authenticity and approachability—qualities that have become rare—his consistent engagement with the audience on an equal footing, and so on and so forth… And most certainly also the fact that Maschine never rested on his laurels, constantly fine-tuning the elements of his work and always trying new things, without ever denying his roots. That remains true today. Did anyone really expect the charismatic singer and musician to scale back just because he’s turned 80 and everything is going wonderfully?

Exactly! And so Maschine (supposedly) pulls the next surprise out of his sleeve: From now on, Maschine will also be touring with a string quintet. Since so many of his songs are already considered classics, why not perform them in a classical style for a change? Seriously: Many of his songs—whether they’re his hits or personal favorites—are perfectly suited for a classical arrangement; they surprise with their approach and unfold a very special magic in the arrangements. For an entire evening, the boundaries between popular and classical music will blur, and even the last skeptic will see just how much the violin, cello, viola, and double bass can add to the experience.

“Maschine Intim—Songs with Classical Strings and String Quintet” effortlessly matches the high quality of the “Songs for Generations” concerts with Uwe Hassbecker and offers the same entertainment value as the Maschine talk shows with Kai Suttner. As different as these three ways of experiencing the rock icon may be, they still have one thing in common: Art comes from skill!