Porgy and Bess

Love Porgy and Bess - it is big in my piano repertoire. It is the one musical I can play most of the songs from, my favourites being "Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine" and "Only Make Believe". He wrote some wonderful stuff. Another of my great favourites is "Strike up the Band". Some years ago I went to the Albert Hall to see the Schools Prom and there was a band called The Burton Ferrars Wind Band that played this and brought the audience to its feet. It raises the hairs on the back of my neck to think about it! And how about "Walking the dog"?

It is a truly wonderful opera. The only time I get really steamed up about it is when a soprano sings Summertime in full operatic mode - it really grates on me. It is a lullaby FGS! - a tender, sad and brave lullaby by a mother in the depths of poverty.

Greyduster good for you if you can play those tunes. I had a phase about 15 years ago, trying to play Gershwin on the piano. First I bought a book which was technically impossible for me, then a simplified one - managed a few slow ones (How long has this been going on? , Who Cares? Some Day he'll come along).I've heard Walking the Dog but can't play it. Can't play anything much now, arthritis. And laziness.
Luckygirl that first link has an opera singer singing Summertime - I agree, it doesn't sound right. Ella Fitzgerald sings it better, imo.

Ella sings everything better than anyone.?

For me it must be Gershwins 'Rhapsody .in Blue' he didn't write songs to equal Jerome Kern in my opinion but Porgy and Bess is wonderful,

Of course it would help if I didn't get my musicals mixed up and you are all obviously too polite to tell me that the ones I play come from Showboat which, of course is Kern and not Gershwin. I do like Gershwin though ?. Maurice Ravel was one of his greatest admirers apparently.

Aw Greyduster, so easy to get their work mixed up, I am mad about Showboat ?

Howard Keel phew . They were geniuses , we still love their music ?

Porgy and Bess is fantastic. Rhapsody in Blue is spine-chilling. Ella Fitzgerald is unbelievable. Jerome Kern and others of his era are timeless. So much beautiful music in the world isn't heard enough. I know each generation says 'they don't write songs like they used to do' but not so much remains of the songs of the '70s onwards as does that of the '30 and '40s (IMO!) Yes, great artistes still appear occasionally but I am sad for today's youngsters that they have limited opportunity to hear the classic 'pop' music of the last hundred years.

Luckygirl I agree about the singing of something like Porgy and Bess in full operatic mode. It needs a good voice but not grand opera style.
Vis Ms Ferrier singing Blow the wind southerly which is really a folk song.

I so agree Swanny

Yes, absolutely love Rhapsody in Blue.
Agree with you Swanny, and it's nice to hear artists from our era (Bryan Ferry, Rod Stewart) recording songs of the 30's, 40's and 50's.

Remember seeing the film of P. And Bess (stupid phone won't let me type the P. word). I went with my sister and remember being upset and crying. And that was in the days when i wasnt so emotional!

I went to one of Sir Willard White's concerts and he sang "I Got Plenty O' Nothin' ". He has a wonderful voice. He also sang "Ol' Man River" (Showboat ?) which brought the house down. The popular songs that Gershwin wrote are a great joy and enduring, but it's a shame that Rhapsody in Blue is the only concert piece you really ever hear of his. He wrote some very good serious pieces - a piano concerto and the Cuban Overture, that don't get much of a hearing.

An American in Paris is pretty good too!

It is indeed!

Rhapsody In Blue is rather like Handel's Messiah , something draws listeners to them even though the composers have given us so much more. Think of Vivaldi's Four Seasons , if you can! ?

I agree entirely with your sentiment, Annie but I try not to think about The
Four Seasons - it conjures up images of Nigel Kennedy ? and I have to go and lie down in a darkened room!

Greyduster I remember seeing a clip of Nigel Kennedy when he was about 15, talking in a posh, public school accent.
A far cry from his glottal stop

Greyduster