Gershwin: Porgy And Bess

On this CD:

1. Porgy and Bess, opera
Composed by George Gershwin
Performed by Cleveland Orchestra with McHenry Boatwright, Christopher Deane, Joela Jones, Florence Quivar

Gershwin: Porgy And Bess, Music, Willard White, George Gershwin, Cleveland Orchestra, Alan Leatherman, Alpha Floyd, Arthur Thompson, Barbara Conrad, Christopher Deane, Donald Zucca, Florence Quivar, Frarncois Clemmons, Isola Jones, James Vincent Pickens, Joela Jones, John Buck, Leona Mitchell, McHenry Boatwright, Ralph Nealley, Robert Snook, Samuel Hagan, William Brown [Tenor], American 20th/21st Century Opera, Classical, Classical Music, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio
Joshua Bell - Gershwin Fantasy
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Bell & Gershwin
  • Enchanting
  • Joshua Bell's playing is exquisite
  • S'Wonderful
  • My Starter Bell CD
 Joshua Bell - Gershwin Fantasy
Joshua Bell , George Gershwin , and John [composer] Williams
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000009OP5
Release Date: 1998-07-28

Tracks:

  1. Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra On Porgy And Bess
  2. Three Preludes: I. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
  3. Three Preludes: II. Andante
  4. Three Preludes: III. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
  5. Songs For Violin And Orchestra: I Got Rhythm
  6. Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Embraceable You
  7. Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Nice Work If You Can Get It
  8. Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Liza
  9. Songs For Violin And Orchestra: But Not For Me
  10. Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Sweet And Low-Down
  11. Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Love Is Here To Stay

Amazon.com essential recording

On Gershwin Fantasy, Joshua Bell's Stradivari embraces the lyrical spirit of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess with more success than most vocalists. Accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra, Bell's violin literally sings through "It Ain't Necessarily So," "Summertime," "I Got Rhythm," and "Love Is Here to Stay," while John Williams (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List) serves double duty as conductor and pianist on several tracks. Three Preludes employs the violin and piano transcription by Jascha Heifetz, a longtime Gershwin friend, and features Bell at his jazziest. Even Gershwin himself--well, the recording of a 1926 piano roll of the composer--joins the virtuoso on the swinging "Sweet and Low-Down." --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Bell & Gershwin.......2007-05-20

Two of my faves, George Gershwin and Joshual Bell -

Can't beat that!

Also, "Porgy" is a fave opera... so three out of three isn't bad!

5 out of 5 stars Enchanting.......2007-03-24

A very talented (to say the least) young musician playing the beautiful music of a very talented composer. I listen over and over again and especially like his rendition of "Embraceable You" and "But Not For Me" . . I'm a romantic!

5 out of 5 stars Joshua Bell's playing is exquisite.......2005-07-08

Joshua Bell's exquisite playing turns these arrangements into Gold. In the hands of Perlman or Shaham these arrangements would be pure shmaltz, but Bell's playing is of the highest caliber.

5 out of 5 stars S'Wonderful.......2004-10-20

Love it! I had heard of Josh Bell but never had purchased any of his music. I am a full fan now. This cd is wonderful. I am a Gershwin fan and have been for years. Bell breathes new life into the old classics and the result is breathtaking. His touch with the violin is beyound discription. He even plays with George in one cut, Sweet and Low Down. That alone is worth the price of the cd. Buy this cd and expect to be enchanted. It has been in my changer for weeks now, I can't get enough.

5 out of 5 stars My Starter Bell CD.......2003-11-05

This CD was my introduction to Joshua Bell after hearing a track on our local Washington, DC, classical radio station. It was hard not to be struck not only by the warmth of Mr. Bell's playing but also by his phrasing. He is almost never flashy, but his nuances made me find new musical possibilities which I hope -- but somehow doubt -- Gershwin intended. This is Gershwin as you have never heard him before, and it desires a place in anyone's classical or jazz collection.
Renee Fleming: By Request
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Not all the arias were her best
  • DIDN'T QUITE FULFIL MY REQUEST
  • Fair Enough
  • Fleming's High Points Well Covered in Compilation CD
  • Beautiful indeed!
 Renee Fleming: By Request
Vincenzo Bellini , Alfredo Catalani , Antonin Dvorak , George Gershwin , Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Jules Massenet , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , Giacomo Puccini , Sergey Rachmaninov , Richard Rodgers , Richard Strauss , Giuseppe Verdi , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Georg Solti , James Levine , Jeffrey Tate , Patrick Summers , Sir Charles Mackerras , Lee Ritenour , Chamber Orchestra of Europe , and Renee Fleming
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000C3ICO
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Tracks:

  1. O Mio Babbino Caro
  2. Ebben? ... Ne Andro Lontana
  3. Porgi, Amor
  4. Come Scoglio
  5. Casta Diva
  6. E Strano...Ah Fors E Lui...Sempre Libera
  7. Un Bel Di Vedremo
  8. Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins...Gavotte
  9. Mesicku Na Nebi Hlubokem (O Silver Moon)
  10. Vocalise
  11. Cacilie
  12. Marietta's Lied
  13. Summertime
  14. Bachianas Brasileiras No.5: Aria (Cantilena)
  15. You'll Never Walk Alone

Amazon.com

This is a compilation--plus three previously unreleased selections--of some of the glorious Renée Fleming's finest work, 15 selections covering 13 composers. The rose-in-full-bloom quality of the voice is staggeringly beautiful: Her rendition of Rusalka's "Song to the Moon" is justly famous and is, alone, worth the price of this CD. Other highlights are Marietta's Lied from Korngold's Die tote stadt, an odd arrangement of the aria from Villa-Lobos's Bachianas Brasilerias No. 5, Manon's Gavotte, and a knock-down-gorgeous reading of Gershwin's "Summertime." The three new recordings are of Violetta's big first-act scene from La traviata, which features one of the most perfect trills heard since Joan Sutherland, a thrilling Cäcilie (R. Strauss), and a version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" which is so over the-top that it might make you look away in embarrassment. On the basis of this CD, one would have to acknowledge that Fleming is more interested in--and more successful at--pure singing than she is at character delineation (Butterfly sounds oddly like Wally who sounds too much like Norma), but it's not hard to tell why she's a superstar. Her voice and technique are one in a million. --Robert Levine

Album Details

"by Request" is a Collection of Fleming's Greatest and Most Popular Recordings Including Works by Mozart, Bellini, Pucchini, Verdi and Dvorak. Featuring Recordings from Renee Fleming's Outstanding Decca Discography Together with Two Glorious Tracks Strauss "Cacilie" and Verdi's "la Traviata" a Role Fleming Performed to Critical Aclaim Earlier in 2003.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Not all the arias were her best.......2005-01-15

There is something lacking. Although most of these are indeed her "Best" releases, some things could have been left out. Her O Mio Babbino Caro and her Casta Diva weren't her best efforts at all. Casta Diva, sung to perfection by other revered artists, sounded too breathy and fearful here. It has good chest notes, and it is definitely better than Joan Sutherland's Norma though. Her O Mio Babbino Caro is the usual aria sung in its usual way, without leaving any trace of awe at an ability of a singer to interpret the aria. Rachmaninov's Vocalise was good, and it was great of Decca to release her Song to the Moon on this disc. However, some new additions weren't all that good as well. For example, if you listen to her excerpt from La Traviata, you will find that she sounds like she was singing jazz when uttering out "Gioir!". I think Decca should have issued the live performance version of this instead. That was so much better. Also, they should have showcased more of the bel canto repertoire she had specialized in. That would have made this CD a gem!

4 out of 5 stars DIDN'T QUITE FULFIL MY REQUEST.......2004-11-22

THIS CD DEFINITELY BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN HER REPERTOIRE. SHE IS SOLID, WARM, AND BRILLIANT ON MOST OF THE SONGS. SINCE I OWN MANY OF HER CDS MOST OF THE TRACKS I HAVE IN DUPLICATE. EVEN SO EACH VERSION HAS A DIFFERENT FEEL TO IT. HER "O MIO" IS GREAT BUT GENERALLY I FEEL THAT KIRI TE KAWANA IS A LITTLE CLEARER THAN RENEE. HER "Ebben?...Ne Andrò Lontana" IS ALWAYS BRILLIANT FROM HER HIGH ENDS TO THE NECESSARY LOW NOTES TO FINISH THIS GLORIOUS TRACK. HER COUNTESS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG AND POWERFUL CHARACTERIZATION AND HER BUTTERFLY TEETERS ON HAPPINESS AND PAIN. THESE RICH LYRIC ROLES DESERVE A SOPRANO LIKE RENEE. I WAS HOWEVER, VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT SHE ADDED "SEMPRE LIBERA" TO THIS CD AS SHE'S NEVER BEEN A COMPELLING VIOLETTA AND CAN'T EVEN MUSTER THE HIGH "C" WE ALL EXPECT NOW A DAYS. HER RUSALKA IS ALWAYS MESMERIZING AND HER SIMPLICITY ON GLUCK'S "Das Mir Verblieb" WAS AN INCREDIBLE SURPRISE. I FOUND THE OTHER SONGS BORING DUE TO THE FACT THAT I DON'T LIKE THEM AND I KIND OF WISHED SHE WOULD HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH SOME BETTER WORKS. I MISSED HER SOFT AND DEFEATED "AVE MARIA" FROM OTHELLO OR HER FULL BODIED SPOILED MUSETTA IN "QUANDO MEN VO" OR HER RICH SADNESS IN "DOVE SONO"

4 out of 5 stars Fair Enough .......2004-10-01

This is a compilation. I can't say love them I think thatpeople want to be surprised by new things, instead of um things they already own.On the other hand a die hard fan wouldn't mind having an extra cd by their favorite artist.Fair Enough.There was one aria that was new to me"Cantilena Brasileras"by Villa Lobos that was very striking.Her voice flows like an unimpeded stream with a lush vibrato.Like I read in one kid's review "Renee has a silky,creamy, instrument that is very beautiful and caresses the ear",couldn't have said it better myself. I agree. One smart kid!!! One thing that I have to comment on that will not escape is the dull cover picture. Renee get a better photographer;you're far more beautiful than that. I'm sounding like her mother,dear lord! She is a fox!

4 out of 5 stars Fleming's High Points Well Covered in Compilation CD.......2004-09-06

Just one listen to the high points of this disc will make you realize why Renée Fleming is an opera superstar. Covering a ten-year period, this compilation disc covers a most fertile period for Fleming, absolutely one of the world's leading lyric and dramatic sopranos. What is particularly impressive is how many different styles she has covered, ranging from Italian bel canto to French Romanticism to Rodgers & Hammerstein. She effortlessly sings in six different languages, including what sounds like flawless Czech on Dvorak's "Měsíčku na nebi hlubokén" (which goes back to her family roots). Her powerful voice is expressive, almost buttery, which allows the listener to enjoy the coloratura agility she has mastered over the years and the tonal qualities she specifically defines for each aria. This is most evident on my two personal favorites - "Ebben?...Ne scoglio" from Catalani's "La Wally" (which will sound familiar to fans of the French eighties noir film, "Diva") where her crystalline voice complements the increasing power of the melody, and the haunting "Mariettas Lied" from Korngold's "Die tote Stadt".

Fleming also has a good sense of the characters she is portraying, for instance, on the "La traviata" aria, "È stano...Ah, fors'è lui...Sempre libera", one gets a strong sense of Violetta's conflict between the attractions of true love versus the free life of a courtesan. She also gets some sturdy help from tenor Joseph Calleja as Alfredo in this piece. But even in this number, the effect of her daunting runs and trills can be a bit overwhelming. She does keep this in check with the slower-paced tracks like "Casta diva" from Bellini's "Norma", which uses a choir in the background to great effect, and Rachmaninov's lovely "Vocalise". The well-worn "Summertime" from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" is nicely covered here, and it certainly invites comparisons to even Leontyne Price's definitive version. Fleming ends the disc with a rousing version of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone" from "Carousel" that grows a bit too bombastic for listening comfort. Regardless, this disc provides a nice sampling of what this truly great singer has done over the past decade. A treat for her fans and highly recommended for anyone who wants an ideal introduction to her range of talent.

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful indeed!.......2004-07-19

I'm very happy with this CD. She has a lovely voice! And what a fox! ;)
Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
  • Top Shelf
  • TERRIFIC CD'S
  • Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
  • Great Compilation!
 Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00064ADMK
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

  1. Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
  2. Swanee- Al Jolson
  3. When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
  4. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
  5. My Man- Fanny Brice
  6. Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
  7. If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
  8. Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
  9. Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
  10. Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
  11. Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
  12. Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
  13. Body And Soul- Libby Holman
  14. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
  15. Night And Day- Fred Astaire
  16. Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
  17. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
  18. You're The Top- Ethel Merman
  19. Summertime- Anne Brown
  20. September Song- Walter Huston
  21. My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
  22. It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
  23. Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
  24. Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
  25. Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

  1. New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
  2. If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
  3. Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
  4. There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
  5. How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
  6. Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
  7. Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
  8. Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
  9. Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
  10. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
  11. Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
  12. Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
  13. Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
  14. Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
  15. Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
  16. Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
  17. Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
  18. I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
  19. Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
  20. The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
  21. Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
  22. Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

  1. Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
  2. I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
  3. Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
  4. My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
  5. Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
  6. Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
  7. Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
  8. Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
  9. I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
  10. The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
  11. Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
  12. What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
  13. As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
  14. Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
  15. People- Barbra Streisand
  16. Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
  17. If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
  18. Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
  19. The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
  20. If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
  21. Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

  1. Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
  2. Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
  3. I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
  4. The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
  5. Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
  6. I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
  7. I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
  8. We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
  9. Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
  10. Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
  11. Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
  12. One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
  13. All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
  14. Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
  15. Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
  16. Come Follow The Band
  17. Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
  18. And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
  19. The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

  1. Memory- Betty Buckley
  2. I Am What I Am- George Hearn
  3. Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
  4. Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
  5. The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
  6. You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
  7. The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
  8. Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
  9. With One Look- Glenn Close
  10. On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
  11. Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
  12. Seasons Of Love-
  13. Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
  14. I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
  15. Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
  16. Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
  17. Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
  18. I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
  19. Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

5 out of 5 stars Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

5 out of 5 stars Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

5 out of 5 stars Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue/Cuban Overture/Porgy and Bess Suite/An American in Paris
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • As good as any Rhapsody
  • Good intro to Gershwin - Great gift
  • Outstanding performance and sound engineering
  • The Finest Recordings of These Four Selections
  • Gershewin is the Master of Mixing Jazz and Big Band
 Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue/Cuban Overture/Porgy and Bess Suite/An American in Paris

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001GEK
Release Date: 1993-06-15

Tracks:

  1. Rhapsody In Blue
  2. Cuban Overture
  3. 'Porgy and Bess' Suite
  4. An American In Paris

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars As good as any Rhapsody.......2006-11-11

I've also got Bernstein and Wild and this Rhapsody is as good as any of them. But the real reason to buy this recording is for the couplings--which are far better than the rest. The Cuban Overture absolutely ROCKS.

Everybody gives you "American in Paris" with the Rhapsody, but, come on, Porgy & Bess AND the Cuban Overture vs. Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite or the Piano Concerto in C? No contest!

5 out of 5 stars Good intro to Gershwin - Great gift.......2006-08-05

Bought this CD for our 7-year-old daughter for her birthday. She loves it. Certainly didn't listen to it once and set it aside. She even takes it in the car.

In short, it's a nice performance of some of Gershwin's best work. Very enjoyable.

5 out of 5 stars Outstanding performance and sound engineering.......2005-10-24

I am not a sound engineer but, clearly something was done outstandingly right in the production of this CD. I have listened to this CD on several different stereo systems with the same result: crystal clear sound that gives the impression that the instruments are right in front of you. I would add that I do not have an SACD version of this CD, nor an SACD player, nor a hi-end expensive stereo system. Nevertheless, the sound quality of this CD was noticeably superior to that of the recordings of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and American in Paris that I have with Bernstein and Ormandy conducting. Part of the superior sound quality of this recording is due to its being digital, whereas Bernstein and Ormandy were recorded in analog. However, I have hundreds of other CDs that were recorded digitally and comparatively few have a sound quality that is as fresh, sharp, and, simply put, as outstanding as the one on this CD.

In addition to the freshness and immediacy of the sound, the playing of both the orchestra and of Levine as the piano soloist in Rhapsody in Blue are the best that I have heard amongst my various recordings of this work. I had never heard James Levine as a pianist before, only as a conductor, and was very pleasantly surprised at the excellence of his performance. There is a real joyful dynamic energy on this CD, together with a quality that is not apparent on the other recordings I own of Rhapsody in Blue - a feeling of playfulness, and even humor. I got the distinct feeling as I listened to this CD (several times, and always with great pleasure) that the orchestra and conductor/pianist were thoroughly enjoying themselves. All of the selections on this CD radiate with outstanding musicianship coupled with tremendous energy and love of life. This is one of my desert island CDs. I give it my highest recommendation.

5 out of 5 stars The Finest Recordings of These Four Selections.......2004-03-13

George Gershwin (1898-1937) first made a name for himself as the composer of one memorable popular song after another--songs that have proven remarkably durable and have entered our collective consciousness to become "great standards" by which others are judged. In 1924 he began to leap the gulf between "popular" and "serious" music, and between 1924 and his untimely death in 1937 he created a number of famous works--but although he is regarded as a genius today, it was not so at the time. For then as now, "serious" composers and critics were an insular group, and many considered his fusion of jazz, strong melodic lines, and symphonic treatments at best pretentious, at worst common.

In the wake of Gershwin's untimely death, many of his works underwent a facelift of sorts, with various composers reworking the material in an effort to give it more snob appeal: the original arrangements were touched up, retoned, and in general fiddled with--and today it is almost impossible to find a recording of a Gershwin piece recorded as originally written. But here Chicago Symphony conductor James Levine accomplishes the impossible, restoring four major Gershwin pieces to either original or near-original condition.

The great reason to purchase this CD is "Rhapsody in Blue," which will come as a revelation to listeners accustomed to hearing the piece awash in strings, for here it is returned to all the sharp edged, strident, and jazzy glory of the original 1924 Ferde Grafe arrangement for the Paul Whiteman orchestra. And it is stunning, clean, a true period jewel that is ultimately the definitive musical statement of the Deco era; hearing it performed in this stripped-down original version is akin to seeing a beautiful gemstone purged of a vulgar setting and restored to true brilliance.

Also notable are "Cuban Overture" and "Catfish Row," both of which are performed essentially as Gershwin created them. "Cuban Overture" has never been one of Gershwin's most popular concert pieces--but listening to it here one is hard pressed to know why; certainly less melodic than other Gershwin constructions for orchestra, it is nonetheless a magical thing that combines a sense of ocean and tropical flavors to tremendous effect. "Catfish Row," of course, is drawn from Gershwin's opera "Porgy and Bess"--but should not be confused with the various suites typically heard, for it was actually arranged by George Gershwin himself and offers a pleasing (and to my mind far superior) variation on these oft-heard themes.

Unfortunately, not all of the original arrangements survive. (Liner notes indicate that even "Cuban Overture" is slightly effected in this regard.) The arrangements for "An American in Paris" received an overhaul around 1947; the originals have been lost forever, and it is performed here very much as we are accustomed to hearing it. Still, Levine and company give it tremendous style and substance in execution, and without knowing what the original arrangements were like we would be hard pressed to fault them in the performance.

Whatever the case, when it comes to these four selections, and particularly so re the legendary "Rhapsody in Blue," this is the recording to have. Everything here is flawless--and very often unlike anything you've previously heard when approaching these works. Strongly recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

5 out of 5 stars Gershewin is the Master of Mixing Jazz and Big Band.......2001-12-26

Gershwin lived a short life but the pieces he made are marvelous. His fusion of jazz of big band creates a unique sound that is very pleasing. Listening to a Rhapsody in Blue, or An American in Paris always gives the feeling of a big bustling American city in its prime, full of rich color and glamour. Uneven, busy syncopated rythyms by the brass and percussion add the sense of the workaholic society of America during its time. It's the old timely sound to it all that makes Gershwin's so songs irresistable to the ear. Cuban Overture sounds equally robust and majestic, complete with native Cuban percussion, and the "Porgy and Bess" Suite, while operatic and huge in proportion, doesn't stray far from its jazz roots. The Chicago Symphony played the music with gusto and vigor, and James Levine thoughtfully interpreted each piece with the utmost care the way Gershwin had intended it. I highly recommend this piece to anyone with a fine taste in the big band, all-American sound. Of all the music I've heard, Gershwin's music sounds the most American of them all.
Porgy & Bess (1959 Film Soundtrack)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Required listening. Sublime.
  • LONG-LOST SOUNDTRACK OF A TROUBLED MOVIE . . . . .
  • GREATEST PERFORMANCE OF GERSHWIN'S SCORE EVER!
 Porgy & Bess (1959 Film Soundtrack)

Manufacturer: Back Biter
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Gershwin: Porgy & Bess [With Members of the Original Cast]
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ASIN: B00002MY3V
Release Date: 1995-05-08

Tracks:

  1. Overture
  2. Summertime
  3. Woman Is A Sometime Thing
  4. Wake- Gone, Gone, Gone- Porgy's Prayer
  5. My Man's Gone Now
  6. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
  7. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
  8. Morning; Catfish Row
  9. I Can't Sit Down
  10. It Ain't Necessarily So
  11. I Ain't Got No Shame
  12. What Do You Want With Bess-
  13. Street Cries; Strawberry Woman; Crab Man
  14. I Loves You, Porgy
  15. Red-Headed Woman
  16. Clara, Clara
  17. There's A Boat That's Leavin' Soon For New York
  18. Oh, Where's My Bess-
  19. I'm On My Way

Album Description

The story behind the controversial 1959 film adaptation of Gershwin's Porgy & Bess is a strange one. In the film starring Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge, director Otto Preminger took artistic license against Gershwin's wishes and the Gershwin estate eventually pulled the film from circulation and it has not been seen in over 30 years (although bootleg copies are sure to exist). The film's soundtrack itself has been called 'the definitive version' of Porgy & Bess and was arranged and conducted by Andre Previn. Vocalists include Cab Calloway, Pearl Bailey, Robert McFerrin (Bobby's father), Adele Addison and many others. A spectacular version of this 'opera', one that makes you long to see the withdrawn film. Bacbi.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Required listening. Sublime........2007-05-13

Cab Calloway, as Sportin' Life, steals the recording. (For contractual reasons, he had to replace Sammy Davis Jr.(?), who was in the film. Lucky for us.)
Despite the Gershwins' own criticism, I believe this is the definitive version of the opera.
Let's hold our breath for the release of the film.
~!an

4 out of 5 stars LONG-LOST SOUNDTRACK OF A TROUBLED MOVIE . . . . . .......2007-03-20

This 1995 CD from the German Back Bite label is a curious release. The occasional ticks and pops indicate that it is an LP-transfer to which too much noise reduction has been applied. The tape hiss is gone, but so are the upper ambient frequencies, giving it a peculiar "boxed-in" sound. Recorded in stereo, it has a very nice spatial feel with the orchestra placed behind the singers. However, at times the chorus seems too distant, too far away from the action. (Sounds great in the car, however.)

I agree wholeheartedly with Michael Portantiere's comments in The TheaterMania Guide to Musical Theater Recordings: ". . . Cab Calloway['s] . . . engaging performances . . . lack the sense of menace that the character needs. Despite its flaws, this recording is worth tracking down if only for baritone Robert McFerrin's extraordinary performance of Porgy's music . . . and Adelle Addison's lovely singing for Dandridge . . . both rein in their operatic voices for the film but they still sing beatifully, under the tasteful, respectful musical direction of Andre Previn and Ken Darby."

Perhaps Ms. Addison "reins in" her voice just a bit too much; I would have preferred a little more passion, especially in "What You Want With Bess?" and "I Loves You Porgy." (For an excellent example of "stage vs. movie" singing, compare Giorgio Tozzi's Emile De Beque on the 1959 film soundtrack of SOUTH PACIFIC and the 1976 Lincoln Center Cast recording.)

Not having seen the film, I can only assume that director Otto Preminger softened the roles of Bess and Sportin' Life to conform to the regulations of Hollywood's infamous Production Code (aka the Hayes Office). It most certainly would have been denied a code of approval if two of the major characters were a whiskey-guzzling "easy" woman and a drug dealing pimp - especially since neither had to "pay for their sins." Preminger challenged the Code with three other films - The Moon Is Blue (1953), the first film to use the words "virgin," "seduce," and "mistress;" The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), a film which graphically dealt with drug abuse; Anatomy of a Murder (1959), rape is the central issue - but I have a feeling he played it safe with Porgy, a major studio Samuel Goldwyn Production. (For further information about the film, go to the ISAM [Institute for Studies of American Music] website at htpp://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/isam.)

Because Ira Gershwin and the Gershwin estate were unhappy with Preminger's film treatment, rights to the movie were rescinded during the 70s. As a result, the film has never been legally transferred to video and only a few public showings have been allowed. When the hassles regarding the film are finally settled, hopefully the engineers at Sony/BMG will track down the original master tapes and produce a truly fine restoration of this long-lost movie soundtrack. All the proper ingredients are there; they just have to be pulled together.

Additional weirdness abounds on the CD's sleeve. None of the singers are listed - (Pearl Bailey and Brock Peters did their own singing, Loulie Jean Norman dubbed Clara's songs, and Inez Matthews sang the role of Serena. Sammy Davis, Jr. also sang his own songs, but Cab Calloway replaced him on the recording - due to contractural reasons) - and all of the photos are from some unidentified production of the opera, not from the movie. This recording may not be perfect, but right now it's all we have.

Recommended.

5 out of 5 stars GREATEST PERFORMANCE OF GERSHWIN'S SCORE EVER!.......2002-08-30

One of the greatest crimes ever committed against the music and video buying public is the Gershwin Estate's denial to us of seeing and hearing and, most important of all, judging for ourselves, the merits of the Samuel Goldwyn film of PORGY AND BESS. Even worse, today's video buyers have to suffer through a boring, execrable EMI video made for public television in order to view PORGY AND BESS, thereby seeing Gershwin's masterpiece in the worst possible light. The 1959 film starred Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge, but both had their songs dubbed by operatic singers. Unlike the long out of print American Columbia sound track LP, this CD import actually credits the voice of Robert McFerrin (the father of jazz singer Bobby McFerrin) as Porgy. Still uncredited are singers Adele Addison (Bess), Loulie Jean Norman (Clara) and Inez Matthews (Serena). A special treat on this album is Cab Calloway as "Sportin' Life", who replaces Sammy Davis Jr. from the film, whose voice could not be used on the sound track album due to his exclusive contract with another record label. Calloway is far better suited to this role and his performance adds an edge to the character missing in Davis' more comic turn in the film. Calloway's vocals are backed up by the identical orchestral tracks (conducted by Andre Previn) used in the film for Davis. Although this version of Porgy and Bess was not well liked by the Gershwin family because it was treated more as a Broadway Musical than an opera, this film was immensely popular in its time and has gained stature over the years. The film was recently named one of the 100 greatest film love stories by the American Film Institute. The release of this matchless film on home video would be a cause for rejoicing. Andre Previn's conducting and especially Ken Darby's excellent choral direction have never been bettered in any performance of PORGY AND BESS. The 1959 sound track contains all the major musical sequences from the film and is arguably the finest version of Gershwin's score ever released to the music buying public. Amazingly, this album has never been released in the US on CD (with very limited distribution elsewhere). This import CD offers the most ideal way of hearing this magnificent sound track music short of a domestic CD release.
George Gershwin: Greatest Hits
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Muffled
  • Somewhat disappointing.
  • Gershwin At His Best in Hearts!
  • The best America has to offer!!
 George Gershwin: Greatest Hits

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002A1T
Release Date: 1994-08-09

Tracks:

  1. Strike Up The Band
  2. Rhapsody In Blue
  3. Prelude No. 1
  4. Piano Concerto In F
  5. An American In Paris
  6. Prelude No. 3
  7. Medley From Porgy And Bess
  8. Fascinating Rhythm
  9. Lullaby
  10. Promenade (Walking the Dog)
  11. Cuban Overture

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Muffled.......2006-11-03

This is a decent enough recording, but it's not anywhere near the best that I have heard. The Andre Previn/LSO recording is much better mixed; at times it seems like there's a muffle on the mikes, or that you're hearing it from a distance.

If I wanted good, dynamic background music, I'd do this. If I wanted to really listen to the music, I'd pick another version.

3 out of 5 stars Somewhat disappointing........2003-09-10

I bought this for the full-length rendition of Rhapsody in Blue. I found the brass too tinny sounding, and the rhythm off in a few places. I like the snippet of this song on the "Best of the Milleneum" CD much better.

5 out of 5 stars Gershwin At His Best in Hearts!.......2003-03-19

To someone who came along as a teenage boy in the mid-1940's, this CD has the elements of authenticity, even surprise, musical history, highly intense performances, and ways evoking memories of emotional highlights of my Youth. When mediocre orchestra 1st tackled Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" at Smoky Mtn Music Camp we were preparing for Sunday's outdoor Concert. Pianos were played by two friends who've presided Music Dept at Carson-Newman College in East Tennessee. In the Trombone section was a skinny kid with too much hair and too big an ego! When our esteemed conductor began the opening bars the Clarinet Soloist, my close friend Danny Boy slide-up the chromatic scale with fleurish. He later became a NC Doctor! He likely plays clarinet for his own amazement in someone's Dixieland Band!

On this wondrous CD there are historic names like Bernstein, Kostelanez, John Williams and Michael Tilson Thomas, Conductors. Andre Previn, Yo-Yo Ma and Sarah Vaughan as Soloists. I would have a hard time choosing which may be called my favorite! It would depend on the day they are playing in my car... traveling to Columbia Seminary classes or GA Diagnostic Prison for lunch with Chaplain friends! I often sing along with the Rhapsody as I did in 1949 when Oscar Levant soloed with Chattanooga Orch. My very young wife was playing in the first violin section! Still today I am totally wiped out when anyone as intensely romantic as Sarah Vaughan sings "Summertime" or "I Loves You, Porgy!"

Is it not amazingly wondrous that someone could create so much enjoyable music in his short lifetime of 39 years? I never wish to part with this all-time favorite 10-Star Recording!
Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

5 out of 5 stars The best America has to offer!!.......1999-03-09

This is the best collection of his songs i have ever heard. That's probably because it features conductors like John Williams and Micheal Tilson Thomas. My personal favorite is the allegro agitato from the Concerto in F. I have other recordings of this song, but none of them can even come close to matching the excitement of this one.
Porgy & Bess
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Preparation for The Show
  • Still the Best on Record
  • My Search is Over!
  • The one by which all PORGYS are measured
  • At last, a complete and beautiful Porgy & Bess!
 Porgy & Bess
George Gershwin , Donnie Ray Albert , Steven Alex-Cole , Shirley Baines , Kenneth Barry , Phyllis Bash , Raymond Bazemore , Carol Brice , Alex Carrington , Children's Chorus , and Clamma Dale
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003EMO
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 1, Introduction And Jasbo Brown Blues
  2. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 1, Summertime
  3. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 1, 'Oh, Nobody Knows When De Lord Is Gonna Call'
  4. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 1, A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
  5. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 1, 'Here Come De Honey Man'; Porgy's Entrance
  6. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 1, 'Here Comes Big Boy!' (Entrance Of Crown And Bess)
  7. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 1, 'Oh, Little Stars, Little Stars'
  8. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 1, 'Wake Up An' Hit It Out'
  9. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 2, Gone, Gone, Gone
  10. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 2, Overflow
  11. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 2, 'Well, Well, Well, A Saucer-burying Setup'
  12. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 2, My Man's Gone Now
  13. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 2, 'How De Saucer Stan' Now, My Sister?'
  14. Porgy And Bess: Act 1, Scene 2, Leavin' For The Promise' Lan'

Tracks:

  1. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: It Takes A Long Pull To Get There
  2. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: 'Mus' Be You Mens Forgot About De Picnic
  3. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
  4. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: 'Lissen There, What I Tells You'
  5. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: I Hates Yo' Struttin Style
  6. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: 'Mornin', Lawyer'
  7. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: 'Dey's A Buckra Comin''
  8. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: The Buzzard Song
  9. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: ' 'Lo, Bess, Goin' To The Picnic?'
  10. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: Bess, You Is My Woman
  11. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: Oh, I Can't Sit Down
  12. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 1: 'What's De Matter Wid You, Sister?'
  13. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 2: I Ain't Got No Shame
  14. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 2: It Ain't Necessarily So
  15. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 2: Dance; 'Shame On All You Sinners'
  16. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 2: 'Crown!'
  17. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 2: What You Want Wid Bess?
  18. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 2: 'Lemme Go, Hear Dat Boat'
  19. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene3: 'Honey, Dat's All De Breakfast I Got Time For'
  20. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene3: 'Take Yo' Hands Off Me, I Say'
  21. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene3: 'Oh, Doctor Jesus'
  22. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene3: Strawberry Woman; Honey Man; Crab Man
  23. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene3: 'Now De Time, Oh, Gawd'
  24. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene3: I Loves You, Porgy

Tracks:

  1. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene3: 'Why You Been Out On That Wharf So Long, Clara?'
  2. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 4: 'Oh, Doctor Jesus' (Hurricane Scene); Summertime (Reprise)
  3. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 4: 'What Make You So Still, Bess'; 'Oh, Dere's Somebody Knockin''
  4. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 4: 'You Is A Nice Parcel Of Christians'
  5. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 4: A Red-Headed Woman
  6. Porgy And Bess: Act 2, Scene 4: 'Jake's Boat In De River'
  7. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 1: Clara, Clara
  8. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 1: 'You Low-Lived Skunk'
  9. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 1: Summertime (Reprise); Death Of Crown
  10. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 2: 'Wait For Us At The Corner, Al'
  11. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 2: 'What Is Your Name?'
  12. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 2: 'Oh, Gawd! They Goin' Make Him Look On Crown's Face!'
  13. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 2: There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
  14. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 3: Catfish Row Interlude
  15. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 3: 'Good Mornin', Sistuh! Good Mornin', Brudder!'
  16. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 3: 'It's Porgy Comin' Home'
  17. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 3: Oh, Bess, Oh, Where's My Bess
  18. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 3: 'Bess Is Gone'
  19. Porgy And Bess: Act 3, Scene 3: Oh, Lawd, I'm On My Way

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great Preparation for The Show.......2007-05-13

I purchased this in preparation for seeing the opera in Los Angeles in 2007. This version of Porgy & Bess lived up to its billing. It is a beautiful rendering of the opera. What I most appreciated about this version was the well told history of the opera, as well as the inclusion of the libretto.

5 out of 5 stars Still the Best on Record.......2006-06-12

I agree with the positive comments made here about this production and this recording. This is the best recording of the full score that I know. Haven't heard the Simon Rattle recording but did not need to, since I already had this one which is practically perfect in every way.

I have owned at least four recordings of this work, starting with the movie soundtrack, then the 1951 revival because I wanted the hear the `complete' score, and then when it was finally recorded complete in stereo for the first time, I bought the Maazel recording (which contrary to a comment made here was done in the 70's not 1969--I think it was 1976). Maazel's tempos are heavy and ponderous and lacking all humor. Elsewhere it's said, he was not the greatest Gershwin conductor. Too true.

Was lucky enough to have seen this production in NYC with the top cast recorded here (the leads alternated as it was too tough to sing either Porgy or Bess 8 nights a week). It was beautifully done, musically and theatrically. DeMain gets nearly all the tempos just right and that is an important thing for Gershwin. The cast act convincingly and sing beautifully.

I understand that Porgy and Bess is one of record producer Thos. Z. Shepherd's favorite operas and the care he put into this recording shows it. It is a live with appropriate sound effects that reproduce the action of the stage version.

Overall lovely recorded sound, with a wide dynamic range (pre-digital, you can hear a very few tape dropouts that I wish they fixed, but who cares). And it works on record theatrically, because it worked on the stage! According to a musician friend of mine, who did the percussion here, RCA took a while to decide on committing to this recording, despite the rave reviews the production got, but who can blame them since Maazel's recording had just come out a year or so earlier. Lucky they did. So far this production has never been duplicated for getting all the elements, most especially the Gershwin sound, which more often than not is the antithesis of lingering sentimentality, just right.

5 out of 5 stars My Search is Over!.......2006-04-06

After several years of frustration, my search is over. This is overall the most satisfying complete recording of this opera.
The first complete set I heard was Maazel's, and while it has much to recommend it, it never truly ignites the way every good opera should. I then purchased the Rattle set, and found it very beautiful, but even less dramatically coherent than Maazel's. It even caused me to wonder, Lawd forgive me, if Gershwin's sense of dramatic timing wasn't inherently flawed.
How wrong I was. In this set, conductor John DeMain vindicates the work's claim to be a great opera, but never loses sight of the incontrovertible fact that it it is an opera conceived in Tin Pan Alley, and raised on Broadway. Best of all is his expert pacing. DeMain unfailingly seizes the dramatic point of a scene, giving the work a sure structure. Poor Rattle on the other hand seems to be so in love with the music - and who can blame him? - lingering over a phrase here, wallowing in an orchestral and choral wash there, that the music slowly succumbs to Wagnerian torpor.
Rattle may have a higher quotient of gorgeous voices and a more polished orchestra, but DeMain's performance makes me feel I'm in the theatre watching what must have been a thrilling performance. Bravo!

5 out of 5 stars The one by which all PORGYS are measured.......2005-02-20

Composer Stephen Sondheim has frequently cited PORGY AND BESS as his favourite calling it "a gift from above." And indeed it is.

And you could not ask for a better recording than this lavish set from the 1976 Houston Grand Opera, lovingly translated to discs by Thomas Sheppard with the same care and dedication he brings to his original Broadway cast recordings.

This album puts you centre stage with extensive use of sound effects and creative use of the stereo spread. The cast is perfection, honed by having performed the show live several times before going into the RCA studios. It's packed with a full libretto and synopsis.

The other "complete" recordings don't measure up. London's is correct but uninspired. EMI's set is well sung but lacks theatricality. All of the elements are in perfect balance on this set.

The old Columbia 1951 album was complete in its day but musicologists have since restored much of the material cut before the Broadway premiere.

Among the highlights discs are the Decca set featuring some of the cast members from both the 1935 and 1942 Broadway productions. A 1950s CD featuring Leontyne Price and William Warfield offers the key arias in a well sung collection. Readers Digest offers excerpts in their Gershwin CD set featuring a woefully bad Porgy, Valentine Pringle.

There are also a variety of Jazz interpretations. A strange 1956 Bethlehem Jazz album with Mel Torme and Frances Faye on Rhino, a highly prized album with Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte, and albums by Sammy Davis Jr and Caremen MacRae, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis.

Sammy Davis also appeared in the 1959 Samual Goldwyn film version with Sidney Poitier and Dorthy Dandridge. The film was withdrawn from circulation by the Gershwin estate in 1974 and has rarely been seen since. The Columbia Records "soundtrack" album was briefly available from SONY on CD but it too has been withdrawn. (Strangely, contract problems prevented Sammy Davis Jr from appearing on that album and his songs were redone for the record by Cab Calloway!) It is still the preferred version of "highlights" from the score for many listeners who enjoy the well-sung program and lush orchestrations.

5 out of 5 stars At last, a complete and beautiful Porgy & Bess!.......2004-12-07

Having been a G. Gershwin fanatic ever since I saw "Manhattan" as a teen, I've listen to bits and pieces of "Porgy and Bess", and even played some of the numbers from sheet music. Oh, yes, I knew there was this complete "opera", or what-have-you, but thought it more than a simple man who didn't care for high school and college humanities courses to approach. Well, I guess "it ain't necessarily so". What a wealth of Gershwin this is! I listened to the three discs all the way through when I first got it, while reading the lyrics in the insert (highly recommended, for those who don't know the story), and now it will be treasured driving-to-work music in the pickup. This rendition has nothing I can pick on for its quality, and hearing it all the way through puts a solid third dimension on those characters we hear in the dissected pieces. Life ends, life goes on; you never know when the Lord's going to come, so roll them bones, brother. See, I'm even starting to run the words through my head. It's great, and worth the money, in my opinion.
The King's Singers Original Debut Recording
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • King's Singers Debut
  • Thirty years old: still terrific
  • This is vintage King's Singers!
 The King's Singers Original Debut Recording

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000A9F
Release Date: 1994-05-10

Tracks:

  1. The Peanut Vendor
  2. Shenandoah
  3. Cherry Ripe
  4. Summertime
  5. Time Was
  6. Scarborough Fair
  7. None But The Lonely Heart
  8. Linstead Market
  9. The Oak And The Ash
  10. Wives And Lovers
  11. Blow Away The Morning Dew
  12. The Green Leaves Of Summer
  13. What Kind Of Things

Amazon.com

As the line in the opening track, "The Peanut Vendor", says: "Fifty million monkeys can't be wrong." And back in 1971, the purchasers of this debut LP (originally The King's Singers: By Appointment) found overwhelming proof in its vinyl grooves that a refreshingly new quality product was on the market. Soon the unlikely lads known as The King's Singers were all over television screens in the company of the likes of Val Doonican, Shirley Bassey, and Nana Mouskouri--also, of course, performing bucketloads of serious repertoire in concerts. For those who rushed to buy the original, this re-release is a real trip down memory lane, the excellent sound enhanced by the extra detail and color in the CD transfer (though, please note, there's less than 35 minutes of music). "Cherry Ripe," "Scarborough Fair," and Bacharach's "Wives and Lovers" are here, along with lots more, performed with that familiar mix of vocal perfection and effortless poise and complemented by the discreet contribution of the Gordon Langford Trio. --Andrew Green

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars King's Singers Debut.......2007-01-12

I am a real fan of the King's Singers, and this album was very well received. I loved it. Recommend it to anyone.

5 out of 5 stars Thirty years old: still terrific.......2003-02-02

We have loved this album for 30 years. We are so pleased it has been released on CD. It was originally part of a very small collection of gramophone records, and is now one of hundreds of CDs, but it is one we keep playing and playing.

The singing is flawless, the songs are wonderful and the arrangements are very clever. What more could you want?

It includes The Kings' Singers theme song, "What Kind of Things (do the Kings' Singers sing?)" which is a humorous description of the variety in their music and in their vocal ranges.

Other highlights are:
Summertime, which is quite close to the orignal sheet music, carefully arranged for 6 voices.

The folk song Scarborough Fair adheres quite closely to the Simon and Garfunkel arrangement, whereas The Oak and the Ash and Blow Away the Morning Dew are special creations for the group by Gordon Langford.

Time Was and The Green Leaves of Summer show the group's ability to create a wonderful mood through slow, soulful singing.

Highly recommended. Timeless music.

5 out of 5 stars This is vintage King's Singers!.......2001-06-09

In the thirty or more years that the King's Singers have been going, they've released dozens of CDs. And as much as I adore some of their recent recordings, I still regard this first album as some of their best work.

This performance is both of a very high quality and is also a magnificent showcase of the variety of things the King's Singers sing. I doubt you would find many other recordings which contain works by Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Bacharach as well as traditional folksongs from the British Isles and America - especially not recordings that are of such a high standard. The vocal harmonies are just delicious, and the Gordon Langford Trio also provides a brilliant accompaniment and gives songs like The Peanut Vendor, Shenandoah and Summertime a delightful relaxed feeling. Then there is also the lighthearted and whimsical What Kind of Things - a song all about what sort of music the King's Singers sing!

I was going to give this CD four stars rather than five (mainly because I hesitate to give top marks to anything ever - I know, I'm picky), but in the end I honestly couldn't think of anything which would justify taking a star away. It's worth all five!
Dreaming
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Gorgeous!!
  • Check This One Out!!!
  • First Loves
 Dreaming

Manufacturer: Sebastian
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002T2QQK
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

  1. Adagio In Sol Minore
  2. Duet From Lakme
  3. The Swan
  4. Summertime
  5. Nocturne in E Flat Major
  6. The Flight Of The Bumblebee
  7. Libertango
  8. Prelude No. 4 in B Flat Minor
  9. Prelude No. 5 in B Minor
  10. Prayer 'From Jewish Life' No. 1
  11. Pavane
  12. Vocalise
  13. Song Without Words
  14. Air
  15. Ave Maria

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Gorgeous!!.......2005-04-01

This was a pleasure to listen to. The music chosen for the recording brings out the soulful cello sound played so wonderfully by Sara Sant'Ambrogio, and the piano part played so skillfully by Anyssa Neumann rounds it all out. It puts you in another dreamy world!

5 out of 5 stars Check This One Out!!!.......2004-10-24

"Dreaming" is the latest CD from Sara Sant' Ambrogio, featuring up and coming rising star Anyssa Neumann on the piano. Please start the tour soon and let me know when and where to come!!!


Congratulations to everyone that played a play on this CD. The time and effort is well worth it shows. Continued good look in everything that each and every one of you chooses to do.

5 out of 5 stars First Loves.......2004-09-25

This newly released CD is a winner! As Grammy-winning cellist Sara Sant'Ambrogio writes, she selected those pieces that first made her fall in love with the voice of the cello, and she plays them with tenderness, passion, mastery, and wistfulness, stirring the listeners' imagination and taking us back to a simpler time. In addition to the old favorites, such as Albinoni's "Adagio" and Saint-Saens "The Swan," she bridges the centuries with Gershwin's Summertime and two contemporary compositions by Paul Cantelon, melding the textures into a cohesive yet varied tapestry of music. The piano accompaniment, played skillfully by the rising pianist Anyssa Neumann, gently sustains the rich strains of the cello, providing a perfect balance of voices. Listen to this recording with your eyes closed and let your memory and the exquisite artistry of these two young musicians take you back to your first loves.
Songs of Free Men/ A Paul Robeson Recital
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Robeson on wax
  • The voice, the sound quality and the interpretation
  • A Voice from the 40s, often dated, often moving
  • Robeson at his best
  • some of the greatest songs of the last century
 Songs of Free Men/ A Paul Robeson Recital

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029YJ
Release Date: 1997-12-09

Tracks:

  1. Balm in Gilead
  2. Chassidic Chant
  3. Quiet Flows The Don: From Border To Border
  4. Quiet Flows The Don: Oh, How Proud Our Quiet Don
  5. Elijah, Op. 70: The Lord God Of Abraham
  6. The Purest Kind Of Guy
  7. Joe Hill
  8. The Peat-Bog Soldiers
  9. The Four Insurgent Generals
  10. Native Land
  11. Song Of The Plains
  12. Cradle Song
  13. Within Four Walls
  14. By An' By
  15. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
  16. John Henry
  17. Water Boy
  18. My Curly Headed Baby
  19. Mah Lindy Lou
  20. Wagon Wheels
  21. The House I Live In
  22. Showboat: I Still Suits Me
  23. Sylvia
  24. Showboat: Ol' Man River
  25. Porgy And Bess: It Ain't Necessarily So

Amazon.com

There was nothing like the Robeson sound, ever. To describe his deep, rich, perfectly equalized instrument is futile. Go instead to "Balm in Gilead," the opening track, and see if you can listen to the last pianissimo phrase without falling to pieces. Robeson was at his best when the music was slow and the words contained spiritual or social messages. Faster, lighter fare like Kern's "I Still Suits Me" or Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So" find the serious-minded singer out of his element, lacking irony and swing. "Old Man River," though, gets a simple, dignified treatment. It's Songs of Free Men, though, that will just keep Robeson's artistry rolling along, especially in Sony's astonishing transfers. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Robeson on wax.......2007-06-19

I found this album in a thrift store last week, for a couple of dollars. It's the original pressing on four 78 RPM records, in a gatefold format. It's in pristine condition. I really bought it for the incredible cover art, although I hope to be able to listen to it in this format at some point.

5 out of 5 stars The voice, the sound quality and the interpretation.......2004-09-24

Put this on your stereo and if it is good enough the depth and richness of Robeson's voice will make your fillings rattle and your chest rumble. The power of his voice is awesome. This CD is superbly recorded with no audible noise at normal listening levels.

4 out of 5 stars A Voice from the 40s, often dated, often moving.......2002-09-01

"Red diaper babies" have greeted this disc with nostalgic joy, and it captures a time and an aesthetic and a political belief with precision. Anyone interested in the emotional life of the pro-Soviet left of the 1940s should buy this disc. It's something like Henry Wallace set to music. There is much more to Robeson than that, however, and Sony has given us Robeson whole: there are songs by American masters of the musical, there are labor songs, religious songs, as well as the kind of faux-folk songs which the butcher supreme Josef Stalin encouraged and which were not taken seriously inside the USSR (except at gunpoint!!) but which were taken up by dupes around the world. This is Robeson at his least savory - willing propagandist for a vile mass murderer. Songs such as "Native Land" (fittingly, Robeson is referring to the Soviet Union) and the Red Army song are the equivalent of the "Horst Wessel Song", anthems of murder, and it is difficult to listen to the worst of them without retching. On the other hand, Robeson's commitment to American folk culture was real. "Balm in Gilead" is deeply beautiful; "John Henry" is heroic; "By an' By" is both resigned yet hopeful. "Joe Hill" captures an era in labor history. Anyone interested in American popular song should hear these. Turning to Broadway, his "Old Man River" is very fine, though Robeson changed the lyrics for political reasons and Leonard Warren has done the song better. I disagree with the editorial reviewer: "I Still Suits Me" is wonderfully playful and shows Robeson using his gorgeously rich voice to tease and poke fun. However, Marc Blitzstein's "Purest Kind of a Guy" is beyond saving - another example of Robeson recording an unworthy song by a political fellow-traveller. Ugh. But for every miss there are two hits. Robeson performs Mendelssohn's Elijah with nobility, and sings his favorite song, "Water Boy", with joyous pride: "There ain't no hammer that's on these mountains that rings like mine, boys, that rings like mine."
No one need have any fears about the mono sound quality. The orchestra in the second half of the program is at times a little dwarfed by Robeson's voice, but it generally sounds clean and colorful, and the great artist's voice rings like no other.

5 out of 5 stars Robeson at his best.......2000-05-12

It's hard to believe that most of these recordings pre-date the advent of magnetic tape: the CD transfer is superlative. The songs and performance are beyond reproach. Notable is the imaginative packaging in miniature 'record album' format, complete with the original cover art, and a replica of the original Columbia record label applied to the CD.

In response to a previous question: Robeson's performance of Danny Boy (Londonderry Air) can be found on the Vanguard LP entitled "Robeson" (VRS-9037).

5 out of 5 stars some of the greatest songs of the last century.......2000-05-05

In the 1940s, before rabid McCarthyism and racism had taken its toll on him, Robeson made these wonderful recordings of spirituals, classics and pop tunes. Accompanied by the solo piano of the incomparable Lawrence Brown, or by an orchestra, the songs ring out with pride, dignity, skill and unmatched integrity. The shameful treatment that Robeson was subject to from American authorities certainly seem grotesquely absurd to a modern listener. The wonderful version of "The House I Live In" included on this cd should forever kill off any suspicion that Robeson did not love his country deeply. This album ought to be heard by millions of people, world wide. Robeson's voice is nothing less than a glorious high point in 20th century music, and it's hard to think of any recording capturing it to greater advantage.

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