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
The 2012 Broadway production starring Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis was recorded and released during its Broadway run.
Highlights from Porgy and Bess (RCA 1935), recorded days after the premiere by popular white opera singers with Gershwin's approval.[1]
Mabel Mercer Sings, Cy Walter Plays, Selections From George Gershwin's Porgy And Bess (Liberty Music Shop 78 rpm album, 1942); Mabel Mercer sings three songs accompanied by Cy Walter, and Cy plays three solo songs. The album was reissued twice by AEI, as Cabin In The Sky/Porgy And Bess (AEI 1107, 1979 LP), and as Cabin In The Sky/Porgy And Bess/Carib Song (AEI-CD-17, 1995 CD), each with Cy's three songs combined as a single medley.[2]
Porgy and Bess, (RCA 1963), a single disc of selections that brought back together the stars from the opera's world tour in the 1950s, Leontyne Price and William Warfield. Also included were the original Sportin' Life, John W. Bubbles, and McHenry Boatwright.[6] Leontyne Price won a Grammy for her performance.[7]
Another uncut Porgy and Bess (RCA) was recorded late in 1976 in studio sessions during a New York run of the Houston Grand Opera production. It was the second truly complete recording of the opera and it won a Grammy, making Porgy and Bess one of the few operas to win this award two years in a row.[7] It was issued on 3 CDs in 1987.
Porgy and Bess (1952), a live recording, released in 2008, of a 1952 Hamburg Germany performance by the famous Davis/Breen touring company, starring Leontyne Price, William Warfield, and Cab Calloway. This is the only known recording from this production, and the first live recording of Porgy and Bess ever released.
Porgy and Bess (RCA Red Seal/Sony Music), a live 2009 recording from the styriarte festival in Graz, Austria, with a cast led by bass Jonathan Lemalu, conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Harnoncourt reviewed Gershwin's cuts for the Broadway version and retained those that were for dramatic reasons, while restoring material that was cut to ease the strain on the singers' voices. He also recreated the "Symphony of Noise" to open the final scene.[9]