Gershwin: Porgy and Bess (Winters, Williams, Long) (1951)

Featuring

Lawrence Winters
Camilla Williams
Inez Matthews
Avon Long
Warren Coleman
June McMechen

Helen Dowdy
Eddie Matthews
William A. Glover
Irving Washington
Harrison Cattenhead
John Rosamond Johnson
Sadie McGill
George Fisher
Hubert Dilworth
Ray Yeats
Lehman Engel
Risë Stevens
Robert Merrill
Robert Russell Bennett
J. Rosamond Johnson Chorus
Lehman Engel Orchestra
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Robert Shaw Chorale
George Gershwin

Did you know?

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Performer Biography

Camilla Williams, who sings Bess on this recording, made her operatic debut in New York as the lead in Madama Butterfly at age 21.

Composer's Artistic Vision

George Gershwin convinced DuBose Heyward of his desire to write 'an American opera' and promised to remain faithful to the original milieu of the story.

Composition History

The libretto for Porgy and Bess was written by DuBose Heyward, based on his 1925 novel Porgy, and Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin's brother, helped write the lyrics.

Recording & Production

The 1951 recording of Porgy and Bess, though advertised as 'complete,' features judicious trims and edits to reduce running time while maintaining artistic integrity.

Composition History

George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess, based on DuBose Heyward's 1925 novel and 1927 play, made its Broadway debut in 1935.

Performer Biography

Lawrence Winters, who sings Porgy on this recording, studied with Todd Duncan, the original Porgy, at Howard University.

Recording & Production

This 1951 recording of Porgy and Bess was a project initiated by Goddard Lieberson of Columbia Records, who aimed to combine the energy of musical comedy with the vocal richness of opera.