Porgy and Bess discography

Porgy and Bess, the opera by George Gershwin, has been recorded by a variety of artists since it was completed in 1935, including renditions by jazz instrumentalists and vocalists, in addition to operatic treatments.

Operatic and Broadway versions

• Highlights from Porgy and Bess (1935) Recorded days after the premiere by top-selling white opera singers with Gershwin's blessing
• Selections from George Gershwin's folk opera Porgy and Bess (1940 & 1942) Two volume set of recordings with members of the 1942 Broadway revival cast. Later reissued as a single LP falsely labeled "original cast recording"
• Porgy and Bess (1950), eight selections from the opera as sung by Robert Merrill and Risë Stevens
• Porgy and Bess (1951), the first recording of the full opera (after the customary cuts), with Lawrence Winters as Porgy and Camilla Williams as Bess
• Porgy and Bess, 1959, the motion picture soundtrack album
• Porgy and Bess, 1963, brought back together the stars from the opera's world tour in the 1950s, Leontyne Price and William Warfield.
• Porgy and Bess, 1976, a complete studio production with the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Lorin Maazel, released by Decca. A Grammy Award winner.
• Porgy and Bess, 1977, is the original cast from the Houston Opera revival, and was one of the first full recordings. The 3CD set was reissued in 1990 by RCA. This version also won a Grammy, making Porgy and Bess one of the few operas to win this award two years in a row.
• Porgy and Bess (1989), a studio recording of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera version under the direction of Simon Rattle. This recording served as the soundtrack of the acclaimed 1993 television production of the opera.
• Porgy and Bess (2006), first recording of Gershwin's original 1935 production (meaning that it utilized all of Gershwin's opening night cuts) with Alvy Powell (Porgy), Marquita Lister (Bess), Nicole Cabell (Clara) and Robert Mack (Sportin' Life), with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Mauceri. Studio recording made in Nashville by Decca.

Jazz versions

• The Complete Porgy and Bess (1956), the first recording of the entire work using jazz singers and instrumentalists, with Mel Tormé and Frances Faye
• Porgy and Bess (1957), a collaboration between Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald in another jazz interpretation of the opera
• Porgy and Bess, (1958) Miles Davis and Gil Evans recorded their own jazz instrumental interpretation of the opera
• Porgy and Bess, (1959) Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen McRae recorded their own jazz vocal interpretation of the opera
• Plays George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (1966), The Modern Jazz Quartet recorded their interpretation of seven instrumentals from the opera
• Porgy and Bess (1976), Ray Charles and Cleo Laine recorded their version of the opera.
• Porgy and Bess (1976), Oscar Peterson (on clavichord) and Joe Pass (on guitar) recorded their version of the opera.

Film soundtrack

• Porgy and Bess (1959), the motion picture soundtrack recording (selections only), starring the voices of Robert McFerrin and Adele Addison, who, in the film, dubbed the singing for Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge. Cab Calloway substitutes for Sammy Davis, Jr. as Sportin' Life because of contractual conflicts, but Pearl Bailey and Brock Peters do sing on the album. Some of the music has been re-orchestrated, and there is a new overture. The orchestra is conducted by Andre Previn.

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