Gershwin: Porgy and Bess / Alan Gilbert
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra / NDR Vokalensemble / Soloists – Hamburg International Music Festival
Tragic Heroes
The sun is shining, the fish are jumping and the cotton is ripe for picking – how easy life could be! However, the wistful music of »Summertime« suggests that that is merely a wishful dream. Because the world of the tragic heroes Porgy and Bess from George Gershwin’s opera of the same name is anything but easy. In the black neighbourhood of Catfish Row in Charleston, where the story is set, violence and crime are the grim reality of day-to-day life. Despite their difficult circumstances, the disabled Porgy and young Bess stick together – even as they look to an uncertain future.
»Porgy and Bess«, once described by the New York Times as an »American folk opera«, is without doubt one of the most moving music theatre works of all time. That is down to the touching story of the two protagonists and the numerous amazing melodies, many of which became hits independently of the opera – foremost among them, the unforgettable »Summertime«, possibly the most-performed jazz standard in music history. The performance under NDR chief conductor Alan Gilbert follows spectacular Music Festival productions such as György Ligeti’s »Le Grand Macabre«, and is one of the biggest highlights of the season.
Performers
NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester
NDR Vokalensemble und Gäste
Kevin Short Porgy
Adrienne Danrich Bess
Lester Lynch Crown
Chauncey Packer Sportin Life
Nicole Cabell Clara
Mary Elizabeth Williams Serena
Zolina Ngejane mezzo-soprano
Adriana Bignagni Lesca mezzo-soprano
Ernestine Stuurman soprano
Kenneth Overton Jake, Lawyer Frazier
Cameo Humes Robbins, Mingo, Peter, Crab Man
Luvo Rasemeni baritone
Kenneth Kula baritone
conductor Alan Gilbert
Programme
The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
von George Gershwin, DuBose und Dorothy Heyward und Ira Gershwin
von George Gershwin, DuBose und Dorothy Heyward und Ira Gershwin
Concertante performance in English
Festival
Hamburg International Music Festival
Spotlight
Opera in Concert