Porgy and Bess (1993)

This powerful production originated on the stage of the Glyndebourne Festival. It was restaged and filmed on location for the BBC telecast preserved in this video recording. Director Trevor Nunn takes full advantage of the realism, fluidity of movement, and precision of small details that are difficult to achieve when televising a staged performance but easy and natural in a movie treatment.

Nunn's vision, conveyed by an unusually talented cast, is constantly touching and rises to overwhelming intensity at climactic points. For example: the crap game and fight that end in Robbins's death, the hurricane scene, Crown's capture and abuse of Bess on Kittiwah Island, Porgy's fight with Crown, the comically sinister antics of Sportin' Life, the double-edged pathos and absurdity of the scene in which Bess gets "divorced," and the electrifying conclusion, when Porgy throws away his crutches and sets out, naively, to find Bess in New York.

Musically, Simon Rattle and all the performers find the exact style for Gershwin's marvelous score--not only such big numbers as "Summertime," "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," "I Loves You, Porgy," "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'," "It Ain't Necessarily So," "I Hates Your Struttin' Style," and "O Lawd, I'm on My Way," but such smaller items as the exquisite cries of the street vendors of honey, strawberries, and crabs. There are no weaknesses in the cast. Willard White and Cynthia Haymon are ideal in the title roles, Gregg Baker is a terrifying, larger-than-life Crown, and Damon Evans is a properly slimy Sportin' Life. The white police officers are splendidly repulsive. --Joe McLellan Amazon.com

disappointed in Glyndebourne production of Porgy and Bess

I read your reviews of P&B productions and settled on this one because of a glowing report by someone. I was very disappointed. First, it was at least 30 minutes too long. It could easily have been an hour shorter with nothing important left out. Good photography and sound, good singing and acting for the most part, but "Summertime" was far too slow in tempo. Maddeningly slow. George would never have allowed that. But the worst was the ending, with Porgy suddenly able to walk, just like Amahl! How corny can you get??? What made the producers think they could improve the story? And why a cane instead of a wheeled cart? What makes modern fools think they can improve on a classic? A fatal delusion. I'll have to keep looking for a better production. Any suggestions?
Richard May 29, 2008

Gershwin's masterpiece receives a performance worthy of it.

"Porgy & Bess" is George Gershwin's masterpiece and one of the 10 greatest operas ever written (see my list on Amazon). For a long time (and even now ... Leonard Maltin's review, e.g.) condescendingly called a "folk opera" (translation: "the Met won't do it"). Bollocks. True, Gershwin himself used the term, probably an attempt to slip it into acceptance through the back door. It's not only one of the grandest of grand operas, it's the ultimate verismo opera, outshining anything from Italy.

Porgy was first performed in 1935. It only slowly gained acceptance, mostly because of racial prejudice. However, if Porgy itself were racist, as claimed by some cretinous looneys, the establishment would have had it performed all over. A version of Porgy, severely chopped by about half, was filmed in 1959. In 1976, a complete performance was mounted by the Houston Grand Opera. The Met premiere followed in 1985. No film recording of either has ever been released. In 1993 Simon Rattle recorded a performance on outside sets (the actual singing provided - as in many films - by lip-synch. This is the current DVD. In 2002 a revival of the Houston version was recorded at the Lincoln Center, but not yet released. The appearance of the 1959 film is held up by difficulties with the Gershwin family.

Added note: a number of low-rating reviews on this site seem to believe that the 1959 hack-job film is the "original" or "real" Porgy and Bess. Hearty-har-har. Come on, people; try to get the facts before sticking your feet in your faces. The "original" or "real" Porgy was on stage in 1935 and is twice as long as the deeply mutilated version filmed in 1959.

Of these versions, Houston's is the best. The 1959 version was savagely hacked but had some first-rate performances. I've not seen the Lincoln Center offering. Rattle's disc is very, very good.

Rattle had a fundamental and creative understanding of the jazz idiom. If anyone harbors the misconception that Porgy is a light-weight work, Rattle will put quits to it. (Compare, for instance, Gershwin's storm with those of earlier opera masters such as Rossini or Wagner: he stands with them as at least an equal.)

Porgy is here well staged. The sets are a masterful recreation of a poor fishing village in 1930s South Carolina. Much of the singing and of the sparse dialogue are lip-synched. This is a common procedure in Hollywood, but these performers, though well-rehearsed, are just not as experienced as American actors. The result is the occasional mismatch. No biggie. The outdoor staging allows some extra perks, such as taking us outside into the storm when Crown goes in search of Clara. The performance, however, is incomplete. Rattle makes the traditional cut (which Houston restores) of the poignant Buzzard Song in Act II. As a great bonus, this isn't the usual stand-up-and-sing performance in which, during big arias, everyone else stands there and tries to vanish into the scenery.

Rattle's cast is first-rate. Porgy is Willard White, a classically trained singer with a commanding stage presence and bass-baritone voice. When this man threatens to take Sportin' Life apart, or to kill Crown, we know he can do it. In the 1959 film, Poitier's excellent Porgy still has a more limited range and isn't as dominant on-scene. His singing voice is that of Robert McFerrin Sr., father of the better-known Bobby McFerrin. McFerrin's voice is fine for the part, and he sings with intelligence and art; however, he's not quite as authoritative as White.

Bess is Cynthia Haymon, a classically trained soprano who is as much at home with Monteverdi or Puccini as with Gershwin. If anyone is Bess, she is, to the nines. Her face is not only beautiful, it is interesting and enormously expressive. Her singing is poignant and her performance riveting. In the 1959 film, Dorothy Dandridge is equally attractive and expressive. Her singing voice is that of Adele Addison, a classically trained soprano who mastered many styles from Baroque forward, but was particularly associated with 20th-Century composers such as Foss, Poulenc, and Bernstein. Her performance is perhaps a little less ravishing than Haymon's, but nonetheless first-rate. There is a wide-spread opinion that Dandridge should have been allowed to do her own singing. True: an "opera" voice was substituted for an idiomatic voice.

The rôle of Sportin' Life is in some ways absolutely central to a successful Porgy. He is a refreshing contrast to the almost oppressive religiosity in Catfish Row. He drives or helps to drive, much of the action; he is central to the opera's ending. Rattle's Sportin' Life is Damon Evans, a classically trained singer whose range of venues has been enormous - including a stint as Lionel Jefferson in "The Jeffersons". In the 1959 film, Sportin' Life was Sammy Davis Jr., the biggest talent in the show. Davis' Sportin' Life wheedles and cajoles, a siren at the gates of Hel*. Evans' Sportin' Life croons and beguiles, oiling the downhill slide. It's hard to decide which of them is the greatest Tempter. Both give fabulous performances.

(* "Hel" is the correct Nordic spelling. The double "ll" is merely a Christian affectation.)

In Rattle's version. Crown is portrayed by Gregg Baker, a classically trained baritone who has appeared only twice on film. His voice is clear and honest, and his acting is appropriately vigorous. He makes an imposing and convincing Crown. The 1959 Crown was Brock Peters, an actor with over a hundred film appearances to his name - in 1959 his only previous appearance had been in "Carmen Jones". Baker is a more effective and menacing Crown, although Peters' performance is excellent.

I can't recommend this DVD too highly. It's a tribute to Gershwin's genius and a genuinely involving performance. As an added bonus, the English subtitles are the actual libretto! And the good tunes never end.

An added bit of trivia: in 1959 2 uncredited bit parts were performed by Nichelle Nichols and Maya Angelou.
March 11, 2008

Poor sound quality does injustice to wonderful opera

One would think it fairly difficult to go wrong with anything Gershwin, but not so. This production of Porgy and Bess makes for disappointing viewing. The performers have great voices, but their voices are drowned out by tinny, loud orchestral music that sounds as if it were recorded in a metal box and then laid over the vocals. The instrumental music sounds totally disconnected from the vocals. It is so loud that much of the time the words being sung cannot be understood. The sound problems strongly detract from my overall enjoyment of the production.
I also am disappointed with the unnecessary swearing in this production, as well as the fact that Porgy is on two feet, even if aided by canes. I will not give away the ending to those who are not familiar with Porgy and Bess, but this version does not end as other versions I am familiar with.
None of these complaints are meant to detract from the quality of singing and acting, which is very good indeed. Marietta Simpson's portrayal of Maria is noteworthy as is Gregg Baker as Crown.

February 16, 2008

The classic DVD currently on the market - a film of the opera performance done at England's Glynnebourne, always well done there

A film of a staged performance always is interesting if the background doesn't take over. In this Glynnebourne production later filmed at a studio, that is the case. Good cast, great music (Gershwin's only opera), and popular in Europe as well as the U.S., this "Porgy" is a classic. June 10, 2007

George Gershwin - Porky & Bess

George Gershwin - Porgy & Bess / Trevor Nunn · Sir Simon Rattle · W. White · C. Haymon · Glyndebourne Opera May 21, 2007

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