Dive into the timeless masterpiece of American musical theatre with George Gershwin's "Gershwin: Porgy & Bess - Original 1935 Production Version." This 2006 recording brings to life the original 1935 production, offering a rare and authentic experience of one of the greatest works in musical history. Spanning over two hours, this ragtime-infused opera is a rich tapestry of unforgettable melodies and compelling storytelling, set against the backdrop of the African American community in Charleston, South Carolina.
Gershwin's genius shines through in this iconic work, which has captivated audiences for decades. The album features a full cast of talented performers who bring the characters of Porgy, Bess, and their community to life with depth and emotion. From the hauntingly beautiful "Summertime" to the energetic "It Ain't Necessarily So," each track is a testament to Gershwin's extraordinary compositional skill and his ability to blend classical and popular music styles.
This recording is a must-listen for fans of musical theatre, opera, and Gershwin's work. It offers a unique opportunity to experience the original production version, meticulously reconstructed to capture the essence of the 1935 premiere. Whether you're a longtime admirer of "Porgy and Bess" or discovering it for the first time, this album is a treasure trove of musical brilliance that will leave a lasting impression.
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: IntroductionGeorge Gershwin, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: SummertimeGeorge Gershwin, Nicole Cabell, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Seems like these bones don't give me nothin' but boxcars tonightGeorge Gershwin, Robert Mack, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Leonard Rowe, Chauncey Packer, Monique McDonald, Barron Coleman, Justin Lee Miller, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Summertime - RepriseGeorge Gershwin, Nicole Cabell, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: What, that chile ain't asleep yet?...A woman is a sometime thingGeorge Gershwin, Robert Mack, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Leonard Rowe, Chauncey Packer, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Honey man! Honey man! Here come de honey manGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Robert Mack, Calvin Lee, Linda Thompson Williams, Leonard Rowe, Chauncey Packer, Barron Coleman, Justin Lee Miller, Monique McDonald, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: They pass by singin'George Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Here comes Big Boy!George Gershwin, Marquita Lister, Robert Mack, Chauncey Packer, Leonard Warren, Justin Lee Miller, Lester Lynch, Monique McDonald, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Crown cock-eyed drunk...Oh, little starsGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Robert Mack, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Justin Lee Miller, Chauncey Packer, Leonard Rowe, Lester Lynch, Barron Coleman, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Oh stop them! Don't let them fight!George Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Robert Mack, Linda Thompson Williams, Chauncey Packer, Leonard Rowe, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Wake up an' hit it out. You ain't got no time to loseGeorge Gershwin, Marquita Lister, Robert Mack, Lester Lynch, Linda Thompson Williams, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Gone, gone, gone...OverflowGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Tiffany Nicole Wharton, Leonard Rowe, Monique McDonald, Linda Thompson Williams, Calvin Lee, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Um! A saucer-buryin' setup, I seeGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Richard Daniel, Monique McDonald, Tiffany Nicole Wharton, Calvin Lee, Leonard Rowe, Paul Bracy, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: My man's gone nowGeorge Gershwin, Monique McDonald, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: How de saucer stan'now, my sister?George Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Justin Lee Miller, Monique McDonald, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 1: Leavin' for the Promise' LanGeorge Gershwin, Marquita Lister, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Oh, I'm a-goin' out to the Blackfish BanksGeorge Gershwin, Nicole Cabell, Leonard Rowe, Tamica Harris, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Oh, I got plenty o'nuttin'George Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Monique McDonald, Linda Thompson Williams, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Mornin, lawyer, lookin' for somebody?George Gershwin, Linda Thompson Williams, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Uzee Brown Jr., Tiffany Nicole Wharton, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Dey's a Buckra comin'George Gershwin, Nicole Cabell, Jeremiah Cooper, Tamica Harris, Monique McDonald, Bart Lefan, Chauncey Packer, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: 'Lo Bess, goin' to de picnic?George Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Robert Mack, Leonard Rowe, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Bess, you is my woman nowGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Oh, I can't sit downGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Linda Thompson Williams, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Allegretto barbaro...Ha da da, ha da daGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Robert Mack, Nicole Cabell, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: It ain't necessarily soGeorge Gershwin, Robert Mack, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Linda Thompson Williams, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Crown! You know very well dis CrownGeorge Gershwin, Marquita Lister, Lester Lynch, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Oh...What you want wid Bess?George Gershwin, Marquita Lister, Lester Lynch, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Honey, dat's all de breakfast I got time forGeorge Gershwin, Leonard Rowe, Chauncey Packer, Justin Lee Miller, Linda Thompson Williams, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Well, if it ain't ole Peter!George Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Linda Thompson Williams, Calvin Lee, Monique McDonald, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Oh Doctor JesusGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Monique McDonald, Calvin Lee, Tiffany Nicole Wharton, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Oh dey's so fresh an' fine...I'm talkin' about devil crabsGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Tiffany Nicole Wharton, Chauncey Packer, Linda Thompson Williams, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Porgy, Porgy, dat you there, ain't it?George Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: I loves you, PorgyGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Why you been out on that wharf so long, Clara?George Gershwin, Nicole Cabell, Linda Thompson Williams, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: StormGeorge Gershwin, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Oh, de Lawd shake de HeavensGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Robert Mack, Nicole Cabell, Chauncey Packer, Tiffany Nicole Wharton, Monique McDonald, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: One of dese mornin's...Oh, dere's somebody knockin' at de do'George Gershwin, Nicole Cabell, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: You is a nice parcel of ChristiansGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Lester Lynch, Monique McDonald, Tiffany Nicole Wharton, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: A red-headed womanGeorge Gershwin, Lester Lynch, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 2: Jake's boat in de river, upside down!George Gershwin, Marquita Lister, Nicole Cabell, Alvy Powell, Lester Lynch, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Clara, Clara, don't you be downheartedGeorge Gershwin, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Ha ha haGeorge Gershwin, Robert Mack, Linda Thompson Williams, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Summertime - Second RepriseGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Introduction, Wait for us at the cornerGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Robert Mack, Richard Daniel, Tamica Harris, Monique McDonald, Tiffany Nicole Wharton, Talmage M. Watts, Paul Bracy, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Listen: There's a boat dat's leavin' soon for New YorkGeorge Gershwin, Marquita Lister, Robert Mack, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Occupational humoresque (Good mornin')George Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Marquita Lister, Robert Mack, Nicole Cabell, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: It's Porgy comin' homeGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Nashville Symphony Chorus, Linda Thompson Williams, Tiffany Nicole Wharton, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Oh, Bess, oh where's my BessGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Linda Thompson Williams, Monique McDonald, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
Porgy and Bess / Act 3: Where's Bess gone? Oh Lawd, I'm on my wayGeorge Gershwin, Alvy Powell, Chauncey Packer, Linda Thompson Williams, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, John Mauceri
George Gershwin, born in New York City to Russian Jewish immigrants, was a pioneering American composer and pianist whose music transcended genres, blending popular, jazz, and classical elements. His career began in the vibrant world of Tin Pan Alley and quickly evolved into a prolific output that captured the spirit of 1920s New York City. Gershwin's compositions are renowned for their energy, playfulness, and innovative fusion of musical styles. Among his most celebrated works are the iconic "Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris," as well as beloved songs like "Swanee," "Fascinating Rhythm," and "I Got Rhythm." His groundbreaking opera "Porgy and Bess" features the timeless classic "Summertime." Gershwin's influence extends beyond his own compositions, inspiring countless musicals and leaving an indelible mark on American music. His intuitive and inquisitive approach to composition makes him one of the most emblematic American composers of the 20th century.