George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess, a major document in American cross-genre and interracial musical exchange, began a new moment in the late 2010s with a new production at New York's Metropolitan Opera. This 2021 release came from a live Philadelphia Orchestra concert, and it may make a good choice for those wanting to hear the new generation of Gershwin singers without investing in the entire Met production. It offers a generous selection of numbers from the opera, hitting most of the high points. The biggest ...
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George Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess, a major document in American cross-genre and interracial musical exchange, began a new moment in the late 2010s with a new production at New York's Metropolitan Opera. This 2021 release came from a live Philadelphia Orchestra concert, and it may make a good choice for those wanting to hear the new generation of Gershwin singers without investing in the entire Met production. It offers a generous selection of numbers from the opera, hitting most of the high points. The biggest attraction here is that the concert shared with the Met production the presence of rising star Angel Blue, not only in the title role of Bess but also as Clara, Serena, and a soloist in the chorus. She's an exceptionally intriguing Bess who merges African American inflections with the Italian opera that has been her specialty, and a quick sample of "Summertime" will establish her ability to bring a fresh outlook to this well-worn tune. She has good chemistry with baritone Lester Lynch as...
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