Description
George Gershwin: Porgy And Bess (Szenen) - Roberta Alexander, Simon Estes, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin, Leonard Slatkin / ETERNA LP Stereo 1987
725 036
Product Details
- Label: ETERNA – 725 036
- Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
- Country: German Democratic Republic (GDR)
- Released: 1987
- Genre: Classical
- Style: Opera
Overview
This Porgy and Bess highlights LP presents a masterful selection of scenes from George Gershwin’s groundbreaking opera. Recorded in 1987 with the esteemed Rundfunkchor and Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, the album features the rich baritone of Simon Estes as Porgy and the radiant soprano of Roberta Alexander as Bess.
Classic songs like Summertime and It Ain’t Necessarily So resonate with Gershwin’s unique blend of classical music and jazz idioms, while emotionally charged duets like Bess, You Is My Woman Now reveal the depth of the opera’s enduring human drama. The vibrant orchestration and spirited choral arrangements bring Catfish Row to life, making this recording a superb representation of Gershwin’s American masterpiece.
Track Listing
Side A
- Introduction / Jasbo Brown Blues / Da-doo-da / Summertime – 8:30
(Clara, Choir, Piano) - My Man’s Gone Now – 4:15
(Serena, Choir) - Oh, I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’ – 2:30
(Porgy, Choir) - Buzzard Keep On Flyin’ Over – 3:17
(Porgy, Choir) - Bess, You Is My Woman Now / Oh, I Can’t Sit Down – 9:37
(Porgy, Bess, Choir, Maria)
Side B
- I Ain’t Got No Shame / It Ain’t Necessarily So – 5:45
(Sporting Life, Choir) - Now De Time, Oh Gawd – 7:18
(Porgy, Bess) - Tell Me Quick Where’s Bess / Oh Lawd, I’m On My Way – 6:15
(Porgy, Maria, Serena, Lily, Mingo, Choir)
Key Credits
- Composer: George Gershwin
- Lyrics: DuBose Heyward, Ira Gershwin
- Conductor: Leonard Slatkin
- Soprano: Roberta Alexander (Bess, Clara, Serena)
- Baritone: Simon Estes (Porgy, Sporting Life)
- Tenor: Wilfried Staufenbiel (Mingo)
- Alto: Diane Curry (Maria, Lily)
- Piano: Siegfried Stöckigt
- Choir: Rundfunkchor Berlin, Chorus Master: Dietrich Knothe
- Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin
Production Team:
- Producer (Musikregie): Eberhard Geiger
- Engineer (Tonregie): Eberhard Hinz
- Digital Editing: Ingrid Trumpf
- Design: Mo Prust
BOX #71 72 73
