Porgy and Bess

Porgy and Bess is a opera composed by George Gershwin on a booklet of Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward, based on the news Porgy (1925), written by DuBose Heyward and on the play éponyme which it had Co-writing with his wife Dorothy (1927). These three works treat life of the Afro-Americans of the fictitious city of Catfish Row with Charleston, in South Carolina. All are held with beginning of the year 30. The first representation of Porgy and Bess took place the October 10th 1935 with the Alvine Theater of New York. But it was necessary to wait the Eighties so that Porgy and Bess is recognized in the United States like a true opera: it is traditional American lyric repertory today.

" Summertime " is by far the most known song of this opera. Regarded as a Standard of jazz, this song was Reprise again by many artists. Porgy and Bess makes a success of a synthesis innovating between the European orchestral techniques, the American jazz and the popular music.

Synopsis

Porgy and Bess tells the history of Porgy, an alive black estropié in the slums of Charleston, in South Carolina, which tries to save Bess of the claws of Crown, her husband, and of Sportin' Life, a dealer.

Scenario

Act 1

Scene 1 - Catfish Row, one evening of summer.

The opera starts with a small introduction, one evening of summer in Catfish Row. Jabso Brown plays of the piano and Clara sings a lullaby for his/her child (" Summertime") while the men prepare to play craps. The husband of Clara, Jake, also tries him to sing a lullaby (" With woman has sometime thing"), which hardly alleviates the baby. Porgy, a estropié beggar, is able to organize the play. Crown, a hooligan, and his Bess wife enter, and the play starts. Sportin' Life, supplier of cocaine and alcohol of smuggling, takes to him also share with the play. Gradually the players deflate, and there remains nothing any more but Robbins and Crown, which is now completely drunk. When Robbins gains, Crown starts to fight, and ended up killing Robbins. Short Crown, asking Bess to manage all alone. Everyone drops it, except Porgy, which protects it.

Scene 2 - Room of Serena, the following night.

The family and the friends of Robbins sing a negro spiritual (" Where is brudder Robbins?"). A saucer is posed on its chest to collect money for its burial. A white detective enters, and known as in Serena (the woman of Robbins) which it must quickly bury her husband, if not the body will be given to students of medicine. It stops Peter (an idler) whom it obliges to testify against Crown. Serena cries the loss of her husband (" My man' S gone now."). The funeral director enters and agrees to bury Robbins if Serena promises to pay it later. Bess and the chorus finishes the act with " Leavin' for the Promise' Land. '"

Act II

Scene 1 - Catfish Row, one month later, the morning.

Jake and the other fishermen are on the point of working (" It take has long sweater to get there"). Clara requires of Jake not there not to go, and to come to piquenique in the place. But he answers him that they terribly need this money. That pushes Porgy to sing its point of view on the life since its window (" I got plenty o' nuttin'"). Sportin' Life trails in the corner, to sell cocaine, but quickly, the anger of Maria breaks out (" I hastes yo' struttin' style"). A verreux lawyer, Frazier, arrive and pronounce the divorce of Bess and Crown. Archdale, a white police officer, enters and informs Porgy that Peter soon will be slackened. A falcon the bad one forecasts cross-piece Catfish Row, and Porgy sings " Buzzard keep one flyin' over."

Whereas the other inhabitants of Catfish Row prepare for the piquenique one, Sportin' Life requires of Bess to begin a new life with him, in New York; she refuses. Bess and Porgy are now alone, and acknowledge their love (" Bess, you is my woman now"). The chorus enters again, with spirit because they are on the point of leaving piqueniquer (" Oh, I can' T sit down"). Porgy remains with the drag whereas they leave to the piquenique one. Porgy sings " again; I got plenty o' nuttin'".

Scene 2 - Kittiwah Island, the afternoon.

The chorus has fun with piquenic (" I ain' T got No shame doin' what I like to C! "). Sportin' Life explains to the participants his cynical design of the Bible (" It ain' T necessarily so"), which brings Serena to the réprimander (" Shame one all you sinners! "). Crown is able to speak in Bess, and recalls him that Porgy is " temporaire". Bess wants definitively to leave Crown (" Oh, what you want wid Bess? ") but Crown is arranged so that it follows it while hiding in wood.

Scene 3 - Catfish Row, one week later, with fallen the night.

Jake leaves to fish and Peter left prison. Bess is lying in the room of Porgy, it is delirious. Serena requests to cure Bess (" Oh, doctor Jesus"). The saleswoman of strawberries and the crab salesman call people in the street, and Bess cures its fever quickly. Bess speaks about its sins with Porgy (" I want to stay here") before exclaiming " I love you Porgy" (" I coils you, Porgy"). Porgy promises to protect it from Crown. The scene finishes with the sound of a bell announcing the arrival of a storm.

Scene 4 - Room of Serena, end of the following day.

The inhabitants of Catfish Row prolong the sound of the storm by their prayers. A blow is knocked on the door and the chorus thinks that it is the Death which arrives (" Oh there' S somebody knocking At the door"). Crown between in the search of Bess. The chorus tries to request to make leave Crown, which makes him sing " With red-headed woman make has choo-choo jump its track." Clara sees the boat Jake to capsize and it runs to its rescue. Crown affirms that Porgy is not really a man since it cannot leave to help it. Crown leaves and the chorus finished its prayer.

Act III

Scene 1 - Catfish Row, the following night .

The chorus comforts Clara (" Clara, don' T you Be downhearted"). Crown arrives and claims Bess. A brawl follows, it ends in the victory of Porgy which exclaims " then; You' ve got has man now. You've got Porgy!" (You have a man now. You have Porgy!).

Scene 2 - Catfish Row, the afternoon according to.

A detective enters and discusses with Serena and Maria in connection with the murders Crown and Robbins. She affirms anything to know and the detective realizes that it will not manage to make speak. He asks Porgy to come to identify the body of Crown, but Porgy is anxious. Sportin' Life tells in Porgy that the bodies start to bleed in the presence of their murderer and that the detective will make use of that to put Porgy in prison. Porgy refuses to go to recognize the body and is stopped for obstacle with justice. Sportin' Life obliges Bess to take cocaine and tells him that Porgy will remain in prison for very a long time. He says to him that it should begin a new life with him in New York (" There' S.A. boat dat' S leavin' soon for New York "). It from goes away, but he knows that it will follow it, since it does not know when Porgy will return.

Scene 3 - Catfish Row, one week later.

Porgy returns in Catfish Row with much money, after avaoir played with the craps in the street with its dice pipes. It offers gifts to the inhabitants and does not include/understand why all have the air if killed. He sees Serena with the baby of Bess and asks him where it is. Maria and Serena tell him that it left to New York with Sportin' Life (" Bess is gone"). Porgy throws its crutches and leaves to its research (" I' m one my way").

Controversies

Greeted in its time for the modernity of its approach of the culture Afro-American, Porgy and Bess is today often pointed finger like vector of not very flattering stereotypes. In the Years 1950, already, Dorothy Dandridge and Sidney Poitier - the two black actors most famous of this decade - had agreed only with back-plate to take part in the adaptation of Porgy and Bess to the cinema, which they would have refused if they had not been victims of a blackmail of Samuel Goldwyn.
With the racial claims of the Years 1960, Porgy and Bess , gradually, was regarded more and more as a white, stereotyped point of view and even racist, on the condition of the blacks américains.
Today, passions were calmed and Porgy and Bess before is very regarded as a great classic of the culture américaine.
According to the wish of Gershwin and their beneficiaries, Porgy and Bess can be interpreted only by one exclusively black distribution, and for this reason, this work made it possible to launch the lyric career of many singers Afro-Americans.

Musical elements

Use of leitmotive

George Gershwin sets up a series of leitmotive at the beginning operated it, in order to identify her characters musicalement. The interlacing of these topics is used to show the conflicts between the characters.

Porgy and Bess with the cinema

Porgy and Bess (1959) is the last film produced by Samuel Goldwyn. Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge are doubled by authentic singers of opera.

Sidney Poitier : Porgy
Dorothy Dandridge : Bess
Sammy Davis Jr. : Sportin' Life

The beneficiaries of George Gershwin made prohibit the diffusion of this film in 1974, considering that this one betrayed the work of origin by making some a Musical comedy more that an opera. One has not been able, for this time, to more see film.

Large interpreters of Porgy and Bess

The work of Gershwin inspired many jazzmen. Miles Davis, under the direction of Gil Evans, publishes its version of Porgy & Bess in July 1958. The same year, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald record for Verve this same Opera. Later, other artists such as Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass (1976) will give their version of the opera.

Random links: