Immerse yourself in the timeless masterpiece of George Gershwin with "Gershwin: Porgy & Bess," a captivating exploration of the iconic opera that has enchanted audiences for decades. Released in 1976 under Decca Music Group Ltd., this ragtime gem spans an impressive three hours and one minute, offering a comprehensive journey through the rich tapestry of Gershwin's compositional genius.
"Porgy & Bess" is a landmark work that seamlessly blends jazz, blues, and classical elements, creating a unique and unforgettable musical experience. The album features a stunning array of tracks, from the hauntingly beautiful "Summertime" to the lively and energetic "It Ain't Necessarily So." Each piece is a testament to Gershwin's ability to capture the essence of human emotion and the vibrant culture of the American South.
The opera's narrative, set in the fictional Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, is brought to life through Gershwin's evocative music. The album's three acts take you through a compelling story of love, struggle, and redemption, with each track contributing to the overall drama and depth of the piece.
Gershwin's genius lies in his ability to create music that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. "Porgy & Bess" is no exception, offering a rich and rewarding listening experience that showcases Gershwin's unparalleled talent and creativity. Whether you're a longtime fan of Gershwin's work or a newcomer to his music, this album is a must-listen that will leave you inspired and moved.
Tracks
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Introduction - Jazzbo Brown BluesGeorge Gershwin, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "Summertime"George Gershwin, Barbara Hendricks, James Vincent Pickens, Francois Clemmons, Arthur Thompson, Florence Quivar, Samuel Hagan, Christopher Deane, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "A Woman Is a Sometime Thing"George Gershwin, Arthur Thompson, James Vincent Pickens, Barbara Conrad, Barbara Hendricks, Samuel Hagan, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "Here Come De Honey Man ... Here's the Ol' Crap Shark"George Gershwin, William Brown, Isola Jones, Barbara Conrad, Arthur Thompson, James Vincent Pickens, Francois Clemmons, Christopher Deane, Willard White, Florence Quivar, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "They Pass By Singin'...Here Comes Big Boy!...Don't You Ever Let a Woman Grieve You"George Gershwin, Willard White, McHenry Boatwright, James Vincent Pickens, Arthur Thompson, Christopher Deane, Florence Quivar, Leona Mitchell, Samuel Hagan, Francois Clemmons, William Brown, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "O, Little Stars...Touch That Money an' Meet Yo' Gawd!"George Gershwin, Willard White, Christopher Deane, James Vincent Pickens, McHenry Boatwright, Barbara Conrad, Francois Clemmons, Florence Quivar, Leona Mitchell, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "Wake Up An' Hit It Out!...That You, Sportin'Life?"George Gershwin, Leona Mitchell, McHenry Boatwright, Francois Clemmons, Barbara Conrad, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "Gone, Gone, Gone"George Gershwin, Florence Quivar, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "Overflow, Overflow ... Gawd Got Plenty Of Money For De Saucer"George Gershwin, Arthur Thompson, William Brown, Florence Quivar, Barbara Conrad, Willard White, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "Um! A Saucer-Burial Setup, I See"George Gershwin, Robert Snook, Florence Quivar, Isola Jones, William Brown, Willard White, Ralph Neally, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "My Man's Gone Now"George Gershwin, Florence Quivar, Willard White, Arthur Thompson, William Brown, Robert Snook, Ralph Neally, Barbara Conrad, Isola Jones, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: "Headin' For the Promis' Lan'"George Gershwin, Leona Mitchell, James Vincent Pickens, Florence Quivar, Arthur Thompson, William Brown, Robert Snook, Ralph Neally, Barbara Conrad, Isola Jones, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "It Takes a Long Pull To Get There"George Gershwin, Arthur Thompson, Alpha Floyd, Barbara Hendricks, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'"George Gershwin, Willard White, Florence Quivar, Barbara Conrad, Arthur Thompson, Alpha Floyd, Barbara Hendricks, Francois Clemmons, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "I Hates Yo' Struttin'...Mornin, Lawyer..Dey's a Buckra"George Gershwin, Barbara Conrad, Christopher Deane, Willard White, Leona Mitchell, Donald Zucca, Alpha Floyd, John Buck, Barbara Hendricks, Florence Quivar, James Vincent Pickens, Francois Clemmons, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Buzzard SongGeorge Gershwin, Willard White, John Buck, Francois Clemmons, Leona Mitchell, Arthur Thompson, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Bess, You Is My Woman Now"George Gershwin, Willard White, Leona Mitchell, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Oh, I Can't Sit Down"George Gershwin, Willard White, Leona Mitchell, Barbara Conrad, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "I Ain't Got No Shame"George Gershwin, Willard White, Leona Mitchell, Barbara Conrad, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "It Ain't Necessarily So"George Gershwin, Francois Clemmons, Florence Quivar, Barbara Conrad, McHenry Boatwright, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Oh! What You Want Wid Bess?"George Gershwin, Leona Mitchell, McHenry Boatwright, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Honey, Dat's All De Breakfast...Take You' Hands Off Me"George Gershwin, Arthur Thompson, William Brown, Christopher Deane, Barbara Conrad, Leona Mitchell, Florence Quivar, Willard White, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Oh, Doctor Jesus"George Gershwin, Florence Quivar, Willard White, William Brown, Isola Jones, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Oh, Dey's So Fresh ... I'm Talkin' About Devil Crabs"George Gershwin, Barbara Conrad, William Brown, Alpha Floyd, Samuel Hagan, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Porgy, Porgy, Dat You There"George Gershwin, Leona Mitchell, Willard White, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "I Loves You, Porgy"George Gershwin, Leona Mitchell, Willard White, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Why You Been Out On That Wharf?"George Gershwin, Barbara Conrad, Barbara Hendricks, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Oh, Doctor Jesus, Look Down On Me Wit' Pity"George Gershwin, Alpha Floyd, Isola Jones, Barbara Conrad, William Brown, James Vincent Pickens, Christopher Deane, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Oh, De Lawd Shake De Heavens...One Of Dese Mornings"George Gershwin, Alpha Floyd, Isola Jones, Barbara Conrad, William Brown, James Vincent Pickens, Christopher Deane, Willard White, Barbara Hendricks, Florence Quivar, Francois Clemmons, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "Oh Dere's Somebody Knockin' At De Do'"George Gershwin, Alpha Floyd, Isola Jones, Barbara Conrad, William Brown, James Vincent Pickens, Christopher Deane, Willard White, Barbara Hendricks, Florence Quivar, McHenry Boatwright, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: "A Red-Headed Woman..Jake's Boat....Oh Doctor Jesus"George Gershwin, Alpha Floyd, Isola Jones, Barbara Conrad, William Brown, James Vincent Pickens, Christopher Deane, Willard White, Barbara Hendricks, Florence Quivar, McHenry Boatwright, Leona Mitchell, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: "Clara, Clara...Crown, Crown...Summertime"George Gershwin, Francois Clemmons, Barbara Conrad, Leona Mitchell, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Interlude (Death Of Crown)George Gershwin, Willard White, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Introduction..."Wait For Us...What Is Your Name?"George Gershwin, Robert Snook, Alpha Floyd, Florence Quivar, Isola Jones, Alan Leatherman, Willard White, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: "You've Got To Go...Oh Gawd! They Goin' To Make Him Look"George Gershwin, Willard White, Leona Mitchell, Francois Clemmons, Ralph Neally, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin'"George Gershwin, Francois Clemmons, Leona Mitchell, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: IntroductionGeorge Gershwin, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: "Good Mornin' Sistuh...Thank Gawd I's Home Again!"George Gershwin, James Vincent Pickens, Willard White, Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: "Dem White Folks Sure Ain't Put Nuthin'"George Gershwin, Willard White, Isola Jones, Barbara Conrad, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: "Oh, Bess, Oh Where's My Bess"George Gershwin, Willard White, Barbara Conrad, Florence Quivar, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: "Bess Is Gone"George Gershwin, Isola Jones, Willard White, Florence Quivar, James Vincent Pickens, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: "Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way"George Gershwin, Willard White, Isola Jones, Barbara Conrad, Florence Quivar, James Vincent Pickens, The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
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