75 years ago tonight...

Major anniversary today. On October 10, 1935 Gershwin's folk opera PORGY AND BESS opened at the Alvin theatre for a disappointingly brief run of 135 performances.

75 years ago tonight Broadway audiences were introduced to the glories of "Summertime", "My Man's Gone Now" and "Bess You is my Woman now."

A new CD of the score conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt has just been released by Sony:

http://www.amazon.com/Gershwin-Porgy-Bess-Nikolaus-Harnoncourt/dp/B002R5V7LM/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1286740336&sr=1-8

(My copy of this hasn't arrived so I can't comment on it other than to say it was just released.)

Of the complete recordings, my prefernce is for the RCA Red Seal set based on the 1976 Houston Grand Opera production:

http://www.amazon.com/George-Gershwins-Porgy-Houston-Grand/dp/B000003EMO/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1286740336&sr=1-7

For those who want just highlights the 1963 recording with William Warfield and Leontyne Price is a popular favourite:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_scat_5174_ln?rh=n%3A5174%2Ck%3APORGY+AND+BESS&keywords=PORGY+AND+BESS&ie=UTF8&qid=1286740327&scn=5174&h=f2afc92ef4c40f16afd555c5fb697c456b230bcd

For a taste of the original cast - although recorded 5 years after the premiere - Decca's 78-rpm album is available on CD:

http://www.amazon.com/Gershwin-Porgy-Bess-Members-Original/dp/B000002OJM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1286740336&sr=1-5

PORGY AND BESS is adaptable. Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald offer a version of the score:

http://www.amazon.com/Porgy-Bess-Reis-Rstr-Mlps/dp/B000VT2NH8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1286740327&sr=8-7

Equally amusing is a complete set starring Mel Torme and Frances Faye, that has some rather curious narration linking the musical sequences:

http://www.amazon.com/Porgy-Bess-George-Gershwin/dp/B000AAIXQS/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1286741390&sr=1-9


Also one of the most famous jazz renditions of the score was an album made by Miles Davis:

http://www.amazon.com/Porgy-Bess-Miles-Davis/dp/B000002AH6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1286740336&sr=1-2


Whether you prefer Gershwin's score sung operatically or by jazz singers (or somewhere in between)today - Oct 10, 2010 - is the perfect day to listen to this fantastic piece of American music.

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For the more unconventional but successful covers of the songs from Porgy, try Brian Wilson's Gershwin album, in which he applies his mixture of obsessive reverence and idiosyncratic orchestration to "Summertime" (very Twin Peaks, echoing guitars and jazz chords), "Ain't Necessarily So" and others.

And even though she's white, you gotta love Janis Joplin's "Summertime" as well.

Bobby Darin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" is fantastic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT6LDh7cO1g

^ Yes Please.

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No love for the Columbia recording?

http://www.amazon.com/Masterworks-Heritage-Gershwin-Porgy-Bess/dp/B000007QCJ/ref=sr_1_18?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1286827460&sr=1-18

That's the only version I own and I think it's gorgeous!

Happy belated anniversary P&G! And happy coming out day, y'all.

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Actually, Twin, the Columbia recording was my first exposure to the full show. I was very glad when Sony re-released it on CD. and sorry that it has since been deleted. I was focussed more on in-print versions.

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