110287-88 rr Porgy EU 14/07/2004 10:30am Page 1 N

8.110287-88 George ADD AXOS Historical 2 CDs GERSHWIN Playing h DISC PROHIBITED. BROADCASTING AND COPYING OF THIS COMPACT TRANSLATIONS RESERVED. UNAUTHORISED PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, RIGHTS IN THIS SOUND RECORDING, ARTWORK, TEXTS AND ALL (1898 - 1937)

& Time © 2:36:45 2004 Naxos Rights International Ltd.

8.110287-88 Porgy and Bess

Porgy ...... Lawrence Winters At its first performance Porgy and Bess Bess ...... Camilla Williams was called ‘a folk opera’, and since Serena ...... Inez Matthews then a debate has been raging whether Sporting Life ...... Avon Long Gershwin’s masterpiece is a musical Crown ...... Warren Coleman comedy or an opera. The present Clara ...... June McMechen GERSHWIN: Porgy and Bess Maria / Lily / Strawberry Woman ...... Helen Dowdy recording, made in 1951 with a Jake ...... Eddie Matthews specially chosen team that was not Mingo ...... William A. Glover specifically attached to a production of Robbins ...... Irving Washington the show, is a canny compromise, Peter ...... Harrison Cattenhead combining the energy of musical Frazier ...... J. Rosamond Johnson comedy with the vocal richness of Annie ...... Sadie McGill opera. There are trims and edits Jim ...... George Fisher Undertaker ...... Hubert Dilworth throughout, which considerably Nelson / Crab Man ...... Ray Yeats reduce the running time, but the Mr. Archdale ...... Robert Carroll important thing is that the piece, as an Detective ...... George Matthews entity, is presented with its artistic Policeman / Coroner ...... Peter Van Zant integrity intact. The fillers feature two Orchestra and J. Rosamond Johnson Chorus • Lehman Engel operatic stars in one of the earliest Recorded 1951 • First issued as Columbia OSL-162 ‘cross-over’ recordings.

GERSHWIN: Porgy and Bess CD 1 77:36 CD 2 79:09 1-$ Act I 40:22 1-0 Act II (continued) 24:09 %-§ Act II 37:14 !-™ Act III 28:30 £-º Highlights from Porgy and Bess 26:30 MADE IN performed by Risë Stevens and Robert Merrill THE EU

Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn 8.110287-88 Special thanks to Maynard F. Bertolet for providing source material www.naxos.com A detailed artist and track track list can be found in the booklet Cover Image: Porgy and Bess programme cover (date unknown) AXOS Historical (Lebrecht Collection) N