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San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)

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San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)

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MikeInTheDistrict
#1San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 3:23pm

Anyone going to watch tonight? Or has anyone seen the production and have thoughts on it? The running time of 3 hours on the D.C. PBS affiliate's schedule indicates that this will probably be relatively complete and unabridged.

For some reason, I can't find anything about this on PBS.org, but here's the BWW article about it:


San Francisco Opera's Production of THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS Premieres Tonight on PBS Updated On: 10/17/14 at 03:23 PM

HorseTears Profile Photo
HorseTears
#2San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 3:25pm

I saw the LA Opera production (same production as SF) in the mid 2000s. I LOVED it. Though, keep in mind, we had different leads in LA. Assuming the SF leads are as strong as the marvelous actor/singers we had in LA, I think we're in for a treat. And, thankfully, you'll hear the original Gershwin orchestrations, not that God awful Disneyfied b.s. that was on Broadway a few seasons ago.

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MikeInTheDistrict
#2San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 3:34pm

Thanks, HorseTears! I am really excited. The only other production of this opera I've seen is the Trevor Nunn production on video from the 90s, which I unfortunately thought was kind of boring. Also the fact that it was filmed in a studio sucked a lot of the frisson out of the work, as tends to happen with operas. I avoided the Diane Paulus production because I didn't want my first live experiences of this opera to be so heavily scaled-down.

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HorseTears
#3San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 3:38pm

Mike - I think it's a crying shame that the Nunn production was preserved in that manner. The lip syncing soundstage production robbed that opera of its majesty. But, that CD recording of that same production is absolute heaven to my ears. To my ears, its the best P&B recording, but I know some people have issues with Simon Rattle's conducting. As far as I'm concerned, vocally, that cast is flawless.

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MikeInTheDistrict
#4San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 4:02pm

I've actually been trying to decide on a complete recording on CD. I was actually deciding between the Cleveland Orchestra/Lorin Maazel and the Houston Grand Opera/John DeMain recordings, but you may be steering me back in the direction of Rattle's recording. I've heard a lot of good things about the Nunn production that just didn't translate to the video.

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HorseTears
#5San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 4:20pm

You can listen to it on Spotify for free before deciding on a purchase.

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MikeInTheDistrict
#6San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 5:22pm

I feel stupid now. I completely forgot I had Spotify for like the last six months for some reason. LOL! Thanks, I've found all three on there.

HorseTears Profile Photo
HorseTears
#7San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 6:02pm

Well, hopefully you're pretty.

EricMontreal22 Profile Photo
EricMontreal22
#8San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 6:02pm

GET THE HOUSTON ONE :P It's the most theatrical, and probably the most authentic, while still remaining exciting (a lot of work was done to try to restore original tempos, cut bits, etc.) Thomas Z Shepherd produced it and it ranks up there with his Sweeney Todd recording as thrilling.

I do like the Rattle one on CD, but I'm someone who has problems with his tempos. they DRAAAAAAAAG at a number of key places and rob some of the excitement (i'm looking at you vamp for What Ya Want With Bess.) I know Horsey and I have discussed this before, but I agree with both of you about the Nunn filming. He did this later with Oklahoma (though there he even odder still added faked audience reaction shots.) Shooting a live show on a soundstage (I think the ALW videos did this as well) makes no sense to me--either film the theatre production, or do some whole new tvmovie if that's what you want. And in both those cases they lip synched to the cast album which I suppose saves money, but... It makes it so lifeless and weird seeming, to me.

I've said it before and I'll say it again--the recording I listen to the most is the 1960s recording with Leontyne Price, William Warfield and the original Sportin' Life. The sound--a new RCA process at the time--is still magnificent and the vocals and orchestra are perfect--it's based on a long running tour. The issue? it's only excerpts--so Houston still wins for me, but often I onlyhave time to play "the hits." It's also slightly unauthentic because Leontyne sings the main female solos (Summertime, which I think Audra sang in the Broadway one too, and My Man's Gone Now) that Bess wouldn't on stage. But boy is it dynamic and exciting.

I look forward to watching this. I was tempted to buy the Blu Ray released last Spring of it, but still can't afford it, so this will be a good way to see if it's worth buying. I hear it's a great production though purists beware--Porgy has no goat cart :P

Here's Price and Warfield singing Bess You is my Woman Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hDtUNSrhqI

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EricMontreal22
#9San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 6:06pm

ANd Pryce's My Man's Gone Now (my fave recording of the song.)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6SV42C5tc0

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Mr. Nowack
#10San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 6:23pm

Yeah, the Houston Grand Opera recording is amazing!

I'll definitely be watching this tonight, thanks for the heads up! I've actually never taken the entire thing in at once so it should be an interesting experience.


Keeping BroadwayWorld Illustrated
Updated On: 10/17/14 at 06:23 PM

Fan123 Profile Photo
Fan123
#11San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 6:32pm

Personally I found the Rattle recording not to be dramatic enough for my tastes, with too much emphasis on the orchestra sounding pleasant and not enough emphasis on the drama or the voices. The voices also sounded slightly distant and unclear to me, in comparison to other recordings.
I much prefer the Cleveland or Houston recordings (though have only heard highlights of Houston). But to each their own.

EricMontreal22 Profile Photo
EricMontreal22
#12San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 7:04pm

I think the Rattle one is *musically* dramatic, but I find the way he conducts--which really does show off the stunning orchestra (and orchestrations) as well as voices not theatrically exciting. To each his own--I do find it a worthy second best. And the voices are distant but that's in keeping with (the little I know of) opera recordings of the time. Houston's recording in that respect is closer to musical theatre, which I think, with operatic voices, is what Gershwin intended.

Nowack--I feel the same way. I've seen the Preminger film and the Nunn video within the past decade or so, but not for a long time. There was a tour in the 90s that went all across North America for several years that came to Victoria (a relatively smaller city, and we only have two old vaudeville houses both under 1100 seats so most tours skip here,) that I saw when I was 13, and it blew me away. I remember sitting beside a very old gentleman who would get so excited throughout the musical and told me he had seen the Leontyne Price tour in the 50s. I can't accurately judge--maybe it was a poorman's bus and truck tour, but I remember being absolutely thrilled by it. (There was no goat cart there either, but I heard that was because they couldn't bring a goat into the theatre given the tiny wing space lol.) I'm looking forward to seeing this!

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MikeInTheDistrict
#13San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 7:17pm

Okay, Spotify only has the highlights version the Houston recording, so I think I'll buy the complete version of that one. The highlights I listened to impressed me. It's very dramatic and conveys a lot of the stage action effectively.

The complete Rattle and Maazel recordings are both on there so I can listen to those online. I have to say, I really like the Maazel recording. He gives a surprisingly idiomatic reading of the score. The only downside is the chorus sounds a bit uncomfortable with the material and idiom, but the leads are great although not as polished as the ones in the Houston recording.

I actually have the Leontyne Price highlights album. It's actually the only recording of the opera I have at the moment. I love it!

Updated On: 10/17/14 at 07:17 PM

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GavestonPS
#14San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 7:39pm

I can't compare to any recordings except the OBC, which is only excerpts, but seeing the Houston Grand Opera production in NYC pretty much changed my life. It was certainly the piece that convinced me opera could be as exiting and moving as a musical play. The recording with Clamma Dale is about as good as it gets!

But I am REALLY excited about tonight: my husband HATES P&B and his excuse is that he "never saw it like you did" and therefore doesn't have any visual references.

Boy, is he in or a surprise tonight!

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justoldbill
#15San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/17/14 at 7:55pm

For my money, it's the Columbia set from 1951 conducted by Lehman Engel with Lawrence Winters, Camilla Williams, Avon Long, Warren Coleman and Helen Dowdy, more recently available on CD through both Sony and Naxos.


Well-well-well-what-do-you-think-of-that-I-have-nothing-here-to-pay-my-train-fare-with-only-large-bills-fives-and-sevens....

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MikeInTheDistrict
#16San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/18/14 at 12:05am

I just have to say one thing before I go to bed: THAT WAS AMAZING!!!

Fantod Profile Photo
Fantod
#17San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/18/14 at 12:37am

I'm assuming that this production is the same one that was released on Blu Ray a while ago from the San Francisco Opera. Seeing this production on Blu Ray was what first made me appreciate the material after seeing the atrocious National Tour based on the 2012 revival in San Francisco a while back. It took a lot of convincing for me to watch it, but now that I have it is my second favorite opera behind the incomparable Der Zauberflöte. As for recordings, I too love the Houston Grand Opera recording of the piece for its performances including Clamma Dale's electrifying Bess, although John Demain is not nearly as good of a conductor as Simon Rattle on the EMI recording.

EDIT: oops, I meant Simon Rattle, not Willard White. I don't own a physical copy, so it's difficult to see the front of the album clearly
Updated On: 10/18/14 at 12:37 AM

Fantod Profile Photo
Fantod
#18San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/18/14 at 12:41am

It should also be known that I have not yet heard the 1951 recording of the show, because it isn't on Spotify and I haven't budgeted money to buy it from Amazon. However, if you want a truly great filmed live production of the opera, try the one from the Glynebourne Opera House, as I feel it is stronger overall.

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HorseTears
#19San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/18/14 at 1:00am

Fantod - Willard White played Porgy in the Glyndenoburne production/recording, he was not the conductor. That was Simon Rattle. Though, I agree they were both magnificent. But that video taped Glyndebourne Opera production is so lifeless because the singers are hamstrung by all that lipsyncing.

Re: tonight's broadcast, I have mixed feelings. I feel we had a much stronger cast in LA than this SF cast - both in terms of acting and singing. The SF cast is very good, but the LA cast was transcendent. Also, I'm struck by a notion I've felt for a while - that the music of Porgy & Bess is fare more interesting than the story. I know you can't artificially separate the two, but without that gorgeous Gershwin music on top, it's a bit of a slow, dull story.

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Fantod
#20San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/18/14 at 1:08am

HorseTears, my mistake about the conductor, I have fixed it and given reason as to the mistake in my original post. I agree that the performers are somewhat hampered by lip-synching in any opera film, but that film is just perfectly made and features incredible performers that it transcends the filming location. I also think being shot live on location is very effective.

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Fan123
#21San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/18/14 at 1:18am

I first got to know Porgy and Bess by reading the libretto without music, after having heard a few songs out of context. I actually found that the story rips along on the page, but when slowed down for all that music, not so much! I think that's just the story of me and opera generally though.

A Director
#22San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/18/14 at 1:22am

Fantod,

The Glydenoburne was not filmed on location; it was filmed on a sound stage.

"The Gershwins' musical masterpiece Porgy and Bess is one of America's greatest works. This production was adapted for the screen by Trevor Nunn and Yves Baigneres. It was directed by Trevor Nunn and is based on the highly successful staging of the original Glyndebourne Festival Opera production in 1986-87, which was remounted at Covent Garden in the autumn of 1992 with most of the original cast. Immediately after that performance the production was moved to the giant stage at Shepperton Studios, with much expanded sets and lighting. It was then recorded using EMI's original award-winning soundtrack."

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Fantod
#23San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/18/14 at 1:34am

Oh ok. My opinion remains the same of the film.

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HorseTears
#24San Francisco Opera's PORGY AND BESS on PBS Tonight (10/17)
Posted: 10/18/14 at 2:58am

You know, Fantod, I have to admit that while I HATE the way the Glyendebourne production was filmed, I'm still grateful that it was. I mean, I don't care how legendary Leontyne Pryce is or how well regarded that Houston Grand Opera production is, I don't think there will ever been two leads as exquisite as Willard White and Cynthia Haymon here. I wish I had been old enough to have seen them live at Glyendebourne. Despite all the limitations of this video, it's clear why this production quickly became legendary. I've watched this clip dozens of times and it still gives me chills. With all due respect to the very fine SF Opera cast, they just don't hold a candle to these two. It's not just the singing - which is flawless (and, yes, I know pre-recorded), but it's tenderness and passion and the connection between the two of them. Just perfection.



Updated On: 10/18/14 at 02:58 AM