In this new Porgy and Bess, is it the key changes...?

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 5/22/12 at 9:29pm

...that force Norm Lewis to sing many things above the octave?

Just curious. I am listening to the new recording and while I am impressed with Audra and the rest of the soprano crews, certain keys are lowered - I would assume to remove the stress of some of Bess's ridiculously high notes - which, thusly, puts more stress on Porgy having to jump the octave.

Am I the only one to hear this - i could be entirely wrong and just am imagining changed keys due to the new voices I'm hearing...?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/23/12 at 12:49am

I'll admit that I'm no Porgy and Bess expert, but I did notice this as well. I mean, of course it's most noticeable on "I Got Plenty of Nothin'". What did they do to that song? They changed the key for no reason, making the melody either too high or too low, and he has to jump up and down the octave so many times. I'm sure Norm could have handled it in the original key.

[justoldbill]

Posted: 5/24/12 at 11:07pm

The whole show is now plenty o' nuttin.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 5/24/12 at 11:21pm

I saw it last week and it sounded like Norm was sick because he kept jumping the octaves and wasn't really giving the voice I've grown to love. (Seriously his "not alone but alive....somebody" in "Being Alive" stuns me to this day)