![]() Yet even as audiences’ understanding of the work has changed over time, Gershwin’s music has consistently offered an abundance of musical riches: soaring melodies, jazz-infused harmonies, and songs of abiding heart and hope. Now, more than 80 years later, Porgy and Bess can be understood as part of the complex patchwork of American history, in which uplifting moments sometimes lie next to ugly ones. The resulting opera, Porgy and Bess, offered an unprecedented representation of black artists in serious roles on the operatic stage, but it also inevitably carried the baggage of some critics’ and audiences’ racist assumptions about its characters. He finally found his subject in the loves and losses of a community of working-class African Americans in Charleston. As a composer whose work wove together numerous strands from the American musical tapestry, Gershwin also wanted a story that would express a vital aspect of the American experience. For his first foray into grand opera, Gershwin wanted a subject worthy of the genre’s depth and richness. The creator of Rhapsody in Blue, An American in Paris, and, together with his brother Ira, some of the most beloved popular songs of the day, Gershwin had already conquered both concert halls and Broadway theaters with his distinctive musical style. When George Gershwin set out to write his first opera, he was already a celebrity. Included in the 2019-20 season of HD Live in Schools. Yet this murder will soon set in motion a series of unintended consequences-for Bess is haunted by more than one demon, and she faces temptations that will shake the very foundations of her fragile, newfound hope. Desperate to protect his beloved Bess, Porgy kills Crown. But Crown’s hold on Bess isn’t easily broken, and when he unexpectedly returns, her sense of safety is shattered. With Porgy, Bess discovers a life of stability and happiness. ![]() Only one person is willing to help the beautiful but troubled Bess: the disabled beggar Porgy. ![]() Crown is drunk and belligerent, and when he loses a game of dice, he furiously stabs his opponent and flees, leaving Bess behind to fend for herself. The evening takes a turn for the worse, however, when the dockworker Crown and his girlfriend, Bess, arrive. Men gamble, women gossip, and everybody jokes good-naturedly. It is a quiet evening in Catfish Row, a neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |