110287-88 bk Porgy US 14/07/2004 10:31am Page 12 Great Opera Recordings ADD 8.110287-88 Also available: GERSHWIN 2 CDs Porgy and Bess Winters • Williams • Matthews • Long • Coleman Orchestra and Chorus • Lehman Engel (Recorded 1951) 8.110219-20 8.110287-88 12 110287-88 bk Porgy US 14/07/2004 10:31am Page 2 Great Opera Recordings Mark Obert-Thorn Mark Obert-Thorn is one of the world’s most respected transfer artist/engineers. He has worked for a number of George specialist labels, including Pearl, Biddulph, Romophone and Music & Arts. Three of his transfers have been GERSHWIN nominated for Gramophone Awards. A pianist by training, his passions are music, history and working on projects. (1898 – 1937) He has found a way to combine all three in the transfer of historical recordings. Obert-Thorn describes himself as a ‘moderate interventionist’ rather than a ‘purist’ or ‘re-processor,’ unlike those who apply significant additions and make major changes to the acoustical qualities of old recordings. His Porgy and Bess philosophy is that a good transfer should not call attention to itself, but rather allow the performances to be heard Opera in Three Acts with the greatest clarity. Lyrics by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin There is no over-reverberant ‘cathedral sound’ in an Obert-Thorn restoration, nor is there the tinny bass and Libretto by DuBose Heyward piercing mid-range of many ‘authorised’ commercial issues. He works with the cleanest available 78s, and consistently achieves better results than restoration engineers working with the metal parts from the archives of the Porgy . Lawrence Winters (Baritone) modern corporate owners of the original recordings. His transfers preserve the original tone of the old recordings, Bess . Camilla Williams (Soprano) maximising the details in critical upper mid-range and lower frequencies to achieve a musical integrity that is Serena . Inez Matthews (Soprano) absent from many other commercially released restorations. Sporting Life . Avon Long (Tenor) Crown . Warren Coleman (Baritone) Clara . June McMechen (Soprano) Maria / Lily / Strawberry Woman . Helen Dowdy (Mezzo-Soprano) Jake . Eddie Matthews (Baritone) Mingo . William A. Glover (Tenor) Robbins . Irving Washington (Tenor) Peter . Harrison Cattenhead (Tenor) Frazier . J. Rosamond Johnson (Baritone) Annie . Sadie McGill (Mezzo-Soprano) Jim . George Fisher (Baritone) Undertaker . Hubert Dilworth (Baritone) Nelson / Crab Man . Ray Yeats (Tenor) Mr. Archdale . Robert Carroll (Speaker) Detective . George Matthews (Speaker) Policeman / Coroner . Peter Van Zant (Speaker) Orchestra and J. Rosamond Johnson Chorus conducted by Lehman Engel Recorded 5th-13th April 1951 in the Columbia 30th Street Studios, New York First issued as Columbia OSL-162 The Naxos historical label aims to make available the greatest recordings in the history of recorded music, in the best Reissue Producer and Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of Special thanks to Maynard F. Bertolet for providing source material respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings. 8.110287-88 2 11 8.110287-88 110287-88 bk Porgy US 14/07/2004 10:31am Page 10 Producer’s Note CD 1 77:36 ! Um! a saucer-buried setup, I see 3:16 (Detective, Serena, Lily, Peter, Porgy, The (nearly) complete recording of Porgy was transferred from the best portions of three grey-label “six-eyes” Act I 40:22 Policeman, Maria, Jake, Chorus) U.S. Columbia LP pressings of the original set. There is some congestion at the ends of some scenes (e.g., Scene 2 of Act I) which appears to be common to all LP editions. Scene 1 @ My man’s gone now 3:31 1 Introduction 1:02 (Serena, Women) The highlights disc came from an original edition RCA pressing. Frequent Gershwin collaborator Bennett (Orchestra) transposed some of the songs to better suit the ranges of Met stars Stevens and Merrill, and also did some other # How the saucer stan’ now, my sister? 1:51 arranging of the music (even restoring, at the beginning of Summertime, a few bars of the Jasbo Brown Blues 2 Summertime 2:30 (Undertaker, Serena, Jake, Porgy, Chorus) segment not included in the Columbia recording). Because of CD timing limitations, one track on the original LP (Clara) (Gone, gone, gone / Overflow) has been omitted here; however, neither principal singer was involved in that item, $ Oh, the train is at the station 1:40 Porgy’s lines having been taken by one of the chorus members. 3 Seems like these bones 3:40 (Bess, Chorus) (Jake, Sporting Life, Mingo, Serena, Robbins, Mark Obert-Thorn Jim, Clara, Crap Shooters) Act II 37:14 4 What, that chile ain’t asleep yet?… 2:16 (A woman is a sometime thing) Scene 1 (Jake, Mingo, Sporting Life) % Oh, I’m a-goin’ out to the Blackfish banks 3:02 (Jake, Annie, Clara) 5 Here comes de honey man 4:39 (Peter, Lily, Maria, Jake, Mingo, Porgy, ^ Oh, I got plenty o’ nuttin’ 2:43 Sporting Life, Robbins, Jim, Serena) (Porgy, Women, Serena, Maria) 6 Here comes Big Boy! 4:19 & Mornin’, Lawyer, lookin’ for somebody? 4:07 (Mingo, Jake, Jim, Crown, Serena, Bess, (Maria, Frazier, Porgy, Bess, Chorus, Lily, Man) Robbins, Porgy) * Dey’s a Buckra comin’! 3:06 7 Oh, little stars 2:38 (Scipio, Annie, Serena, Archdale, Clara, (Porgy, Mingo, Jim, Crown, Sporting Life, Mingo, Jake, Porgy, Frazier) Robbins, Serena, Bess, Maria, Jake) ( Buzzard, keep on flyin’ over 2:45 8 Wake up an’ hit it out 3:33 (Porgy, Chorus) (Bess, Crown, Sporting Life, Maria, Porgy) ) ‘Lo, Bess. Goin’ to the picnic 2:38 Scene 2 (Sporting Life, Bess, Porgy, Jake) 9 Where is brudder Robbins?... 2:57 (Gone, gone, gone) ¡ Bess, you is my woman now 4:52 (Chorus, Serena, Maria, Bess) (Porgy, Bess) 0 Come on, sister, come on, brother… (Overflow) ™ Oh, I can’t sit down! 4:03 (Chorus, Jake, Peter, Serena, Maria, Porgy) 2:29 (Chorus, Maria, Bess, Porgy) 8.110287-88 10 3 8.110287-88 110287-88 bk Porgy US 14/07/2004 10:31am Page 4 Scene 2 CD 2 79:09 CD 2 Act III £ Ha-da-da, ha-da-da 1:19 (Chorus) Act II (continued) 24:09 Act II (continued) Scene 1 ¢ It ain’t necessarily so 2:43 Scene 3 Scene 3 ! All are gathered in the courtyard, mourning Jake, (Sporting Life, Chorus) 1 Honey, dat’s all de breakfast I got time for 4:10 Clara and Crown, whom they believe lost. @ Sportin’ (Jake, Nelson, Jim, Maria, Peter, Bess, 1 Peter is out of prison, while Porgy worries about Life doubts this and looks forward to an encounter ∞ Hey there! Holt yo’ holt 2:42 Porgy, Serena) Bess, ill after being lost on the island. 2 Serena prays between Crown and Porgy. # Bess can be heard (Women, Crown, Bess) for her. 3 The strawberry woman is heard, with her singing Clara’s lullaby, $ while Crown steals back, to 2 Oh, Doctor Jesus 1:30 street-cry, followed by Peter the honey man and the be killed by Porgy, who stabs and then strangles him. § Oh, what you want wid Bess? 3:13 (Serena, Porgy, Peter, Lily) crab man. 4 Bess appears, in a night gown, still (Bess, Crown) feverish. Porgy knows she has been with Crown, but Scene 2 3 Oh dey’s so fresh an’ fine 2:17 makes no claim on her. Bess needs his protection, as she (Strawberry Woman, Crab Man, Porgy, Maria) makes clear in I loves you, Porgy 5. 6 Maria questions % Porgy is taken in by the police as a possible witness Clara. of Crown’s murder, ^ as Bess and Sportin’ Life 4 Now de time, oh Gawd, now de time 2:53 comment. & While he is detained, Sportin’ Life, in a (Porgy, Bess) Scene 4 Blues, There’s a boat dat’s leavin’ soon for New York, persuades Bess to go away with him. 5 I loves you, Porgy 2:15 7 A storm arises. 8 In Serena’s room all pray (Bess, Porgy) anxiously, interrupted by Crown. Clara sees Jake’s Scene 3 upturned boat and rushes out, leaving her baby with 6 Why you been out on that wharf so long, Clara? Bess, 9 while Crown takes action, 0 as he goes telling * A week later normal life continues in Catfish Row. (Maria, Clara) 1:20 Bess that he will return for her. ( Porgy is back from detention, bringing presents as a result of his gambling in prison. ) He seeks Bess, in Scene 4 Oh, Bess, oh where’s my Bess. ¡ Serena and Maria 7 Oh, de Lawd shake de Heavens… (Summertime) explain, in their own ways, what Bess has done. ¡ (Chorus, Porgy, Clara, Serena, Sporting Life) 3:04 Porgy is left determined to find Bess again, with the song I’m on my way. 8 Oh, dere’s somebody knockin’ at de do’ 1:31 (Chorus, Peter, Maria, Lily, Mingo, Bess) Keith Anderson 9 You is a nice parcel of Christians 2:34 (Crown, Serena, Bess, Porgy, A Woman) 0 A red-headed woman makes a choochoo 2:34 jump its track (Crown, Chorus, Bess, Clara, Porgy) 8.110287-88 4 9 8.110287-88 110287-88 bk Porgy US 14/07/2004 10:31am Page 8 Synopsis Scene 2 Act III 28:30 Appendix: Highlights from Porgy and Bess Porgy and Bess was completed and first staged in 1935. 9-0 The body of Robbins is laid out in Serena’s room, Scene 1 performed by The libretto by DuBose Heyward and Ira Gershwin was where mourners gather.