Porgy and Bess (1951 album)

Infobox Album
Name = Porgy and Bess
Type = Album


Released = 1951
Artist =
Recorded = April 1951
Genre = Opera
Length = 129 minutes
Label = Columbia Masterworks Records
Producer = Goddard Lieberson
Reviews =
Last album = "Selections from George Gershwin's folk opera Porgy and Bess"
(1940 & 1942)
This album = "Porgy and Bess (1951 album)"
(1951)
Next album = ""
()

This 1951 recording of George Gershwin's opera "Porgy and Bess" was the first "complete" recording of the work from beginning to end, not a series of selections of popular songs from the work. (The recording did not include most of the music written by Gershwin which had been customarily cut from productions in the United States, however.)

The recording came about as a result of Ira Gershwin's desire to bring about a recording not tied to any one production of the work, as the previous two had been. [ [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Dec04/Gershwin_Porgy.htm Musicweb entry] ] It was recorded between April 5 and April 13, 1951.

The album was originally released on 3 twelve-inch 33 1/3 rpm LPs. Columbia Masterworks assigned the album the serial number OSL 162. The recording was later remastered by Naxos Records and re-released on CD.

Cast

*Lawrence Winters, baritone (Porgy)
*Camilla Williams, soprano (Bess)
*Warren Coleman, baritone (Crown)
*Avon Long, tenor (Sportin' Life)
*Inez Matthews, soprano (Serena)
*Harrison Cattenhead, tenor (Peter)
*Hubert Dilworth, baritone (Undertaker)
*Helen Dowdy, mezzo-soprano(Maria/Lily/Strawberry Woman)
*George Fisher, baritone (Jim)
*William A. Glover, tenor (Mingo)
*Eddie Matthews, baritone (Jake)
*Sadie McGill, mezzo-soprano (Annie)
*June McMechen, soprano (Clara)
*Irving Washington, tenor (Robbins)
*Ray Yeats, tenor (Nelson/Crab Man)
*J. Rosamond Johnson (Frazier)
*Robert Carroll (Mr. Archdale)
*George Matthews (Detective)
*Peter Van Zant (Police Officer/Coroner)

*J. Rosamond Johnson Chorus
*Pickup group
*Lehman Engel, conductor

References

External links

* [http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/NaxosCat/naxos_cat.asp?item_code=8.110287-88 Track listing and synopsis] from Naxos' reissue