Product Details

• Actors: Willard White, Cynthia Haymon, Gregg Baker, Cynthia Clarey, Marietta Simpson
• Directors: Trevor Nunn
• Writers: Trevor Nunn, Dorothy Heyward, DuBose Heyward, Yves Baignčres
• Producers: Dennis Marks, Greg Smith, Jac Venza
• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC, Subtitled
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: German, French, Italian
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: EMI Classics
• DVD Release Date: July 3, 2001
• Run Time: 184 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (141 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005LIN0
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,936 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "George Gershwin - Porgy & Bess / Trevor Nunn · Sir Simon Rattle · W. White · C. Haymon · Glyndebourne Opera" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This powerful production originated on the stage of the Glyndebourne Festival. It was restaged and filmed on location for the BBC telecast preserved in this video recording. Director Trevor Nunn takes full advantage of the realism, fluidity of movement, and precision of small details that are difficult to achieve when televising a staged performance but easy and natural in a movie treatment.

Nunn's vision, conveyed by an unusually talented cast, is constantly touching and rises to overwhelming intensity at climactic points. For example: the crap game and fight that end in Robbins's death, the hurricane scene, Crown's capture and abuse of Bess on Kittiwah Island, Porgy's fight with Crown, the comically sinister antics of Sportin' Life, the double-edged pathos and absurdity of the scene in which Bess gets "divorced," and the electrifying conclusion, when Porgy throws away his crutches and sets out, naively, to find Bess in New York.

Musically, Simon Rattle and all the performers find the exact style for Gershwin's marvelous score--not only such big numbers as "Summertime," "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," "I Loves You, Porgy," "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'," "It Ain't Necessarily So," "I Hates Your Struttin' Style," and "O Lawd, I'm on My Way," but such smaller items as the exquisite cries of the street vendors of honey, strawberries, and crabs. There are no weaknesses in the cast. Willard White and Cynthia Haymon are ideal in the title roles, Gregg Baker is a terrifying, larger-than-life Crown, and Damon Evans is a properly slimy Sportin' Life. The white police officers are splendidly repulsive. --Joe McLellan

Product Description

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.

First performed in 1935 and based on the play Porgy by DuBose and Dorothy K. Heyward, Porgy and Bess has achieved worldwide renown through such memorable songs as "Summertime," "It Ain't Necessarily So," "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'," "Oh Lawd, I'm on My Way," and many more, set to Gershwin's moving symphonic score. 184 minutes.

Porgy: Willard White
Bess: Cynthia Haymon
Crown: Gregg Baker
Serena: Cynthia Clarey
Maria: Mariette Simpson
Sporting Life: Damon Evans
Clara: Paula Ingram (sung by Harolyn Blackwell)
Jake: Gordon Hawkins (sung by Bruce Hubbard)
Mingo: Barrington Coleman
Robbins: D. Alonzo Washington (sung by Johnny Worthy)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

199 of 201 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Movie of Gershwin's Opera June 29, 2003

By J Scott Morrison HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

You must disregard many of the earlier customer reviews of this DVD; apparently a lot of people thought they were going to be seeing a straight movie, or a Hollywoodization of the opera made in the 1950s. This, kind readers, is the REAL opera as its creators [George Gershwin and his brother, Ira] intended it and the Glyndebourne Opera production is beautifully opened up, as they say, for the movie camera by the eminent British director, Trevor Nunn. It's all under the direction of that nonpareil British conductor, Sir Simon Rattle, who has since moved on to the plum job of the conductorial world as music director of the Berlin Philharmonic.

The cast is superb. Willard White owns the role of Porgy and his acting is superb as the cripple whose heart is broken. Cynthia Haymon sounds wonderful and looks terrific as Bess. Gregg Baker not only has the huge, sonorous bass that Crown requires, but he looks the part better than anyone I've ever seen in this opera-- and I've seen at least five productions, going back to Leontyne Price and William Warfield at the old New York City Opera. Damon Evans is a suitably oily Sportin' Life. Marietta Simpson, the eminent Mahlerian contralto, sings an absolutely riveting (and hilarious) Maria. Serena, Jake's widow, is ably taken by Cynthia Carey. Some of the 'minor' roles are portrayed by an actor while the singing is done by a trained singer; there is absolutely no problem with the lip-synching--indeed I didn't know until I saw the credits. Clara, the character who sings 'Summertime,' is acted by a beautiful young woman named Paula Ingram, and sung by the delectable Harolyn Blackwell. The ill-fated Jake is acted by Gordon Hawkins, and sung by the talented Bruce Hubbard.

Visually the production is as detailed and realistic as any I've seen. The videography is fluid and unobtrusive. The denizens of Catfish Row are sung superbly and their movements intricately, and realistically, choreographed.

I don't imagine I'll be wanting any other DVDs of this, one of my favorites operas (and certainly my favorite American opera) for a long time to come.

Scott Morrison

173 of 184 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Did someone say "original" ? June 26, 2001

By W. Graff

Format:VHS Tape

I have read through the eighty-some posts here and was surprised to read over and over "I want to see the 'original' with Sidney Poitier..."

The "original" opera opened in 1935 and starred Todd Duncan and Anne Brown. Selection from this original production are available on Decca records (recently re-issued on CD). Also, on a CD entitled "Gershwin Plays Gershwin" there are excerpts from rehearsals of the original production!

In the 1950s, Porgy and Bess was mounted on Broadway as a musical as opposed to its original operatic form. All of the recitative was replaced with dialogue. So much of Gershwin's amazing score was cut. This is the form of Porgy that was used for the Preminger film. It is not the Porgy and Bess that Gershwin intended - but only a "Readers Digest" version.

At about the same time, Lyontine Price was touring in a new production of Porgy and Bess which brought the opera back to the public and which made her a star. There is an "excepts" version of this production which is nothing less than electrifying. It is a crime that Price never recorded a complete Porgy and Bess. She was a GREAT Bess.

The next great production would come in the 70s with the Houston Opera's production, which is still considered definitive.

I have seen the Glyndebourne Opera version when it was broadcast on TV, and I thought it was beautiful. The settings are very natural and the acting is quite good. One very unfortunate cut in this production (or at least from the DVD) is Porgy's "Buzzard Song", which is one of my favorite arias from the opera.

I now finally have the DVD version, and the sound is very clear and well balanced. Using Dolby Pro-logic, there is a good separation between voice and orchestra.

Try to get the Hollywood version out of your head and enjoy Porgy and Bess the way the Gershwins and DuBose Heyward intended it. It is THE great American opera and deserves nothing less.

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars THE FINEST February 17, 2002

By MOVIE MAVEN

Format:DVD

George and Ira Gershwin wrote, in my opinion, the finest American opera of the last century. It is supremely melodic, intensely dramatic, provides at least eight first-rate roles for performers and (having seen the opera at least four other times in other productions) experiencing it, in this gorgeous Trevor Nunn production, is a treat I did not ever expect to see.

First, the cast: Every single person in the huge company can sing and act. But special mention must go to Willard White (Porgy)-- a proud, strong, handsome man who projects his love and spirituality and his life as an outsider in his actions and wonderful baritone voice. Cynthia Haymon, is a gorgeous Bess. Her first scenes as Crown's drunk, addicted, whore/lover are performed beautifully--then her 'redemption' as Porgy's lover is wonderful to see and hear. Her lovely, strong soprano voice, her movements, her acting all change before our eyes. Gregg Baker is the perfect Crown. Not only is he a commanding singer, he is a commanding presence: big, powerfully built and extremely handsome. It is quite obvious how he could be both sexually exciting and absolutely frightening to Bess and all the other characters. Damon Evans is superb as Sporting Life the one character who depends more on acting than classical singing. This is not to say that Evans cannot sing. He does wonderfully with his two numbers which are, granted, more musical comedy-inspired than opera-inspired. And his acting could not possibly be bettered.

The production by theatre-director Trevor Nunn ("Les Miserables," among countless others) is thoughtful and true to the creators' intentions. With his designers he has built a "Catfish Row" that is filled with heat, intensity, comedy, drama and, ultimately, tragedy. His staging of the orchestral prelude is the best, most interesting I've seen. The camera peeks into the lives of these ordinary people who depend on extremely hard work and few pleasures to exist. Several moments have stayed with me long after my first viewing: a first act fight in which Crown violently kills another character (Robbins)with a cotton hook, staged and filmed so realistically that one would think these were stunt people and not opera singers; performances by all of the few white people in the cast (Mr. Archdale & the Undertaker, for example) in which they do not 'talk down' to the African American characters (as I've seen in several other productions) but talk simply man to man; the way that the camera is tight on Bess's unbelieving face when Porgy silently (through the music) offers her his room to hide in when everyone else has turned her away; another close up: this time on Sporting Life watching the crippled Porgy summon the strength to kill Crown with his bare hands. And finally toward the end of the opera, when Sporting Life seduces Bess with drugs and his fantasy tale of what New York City will mean to her.
The London Philharmonic brilliantly led by Sir Simon Rattle is perfect in both the operatic and jazz sections. This is an altogether satisfying, majestic production both musically and dramatically.

I have read almost all of the other reviews for this DVD and, honestly, do not understand the overwhelming longing to see the Otto Preminger movie. Poitier and Dandridge were not opera singers and the Gershwins wrote an OPERA. This means that the two title characters would have to be dubbed by other singers or, if they did their own singing (and I, honestly, have no idea if they did or didn't) they would have to compromise this extraordinary music.

It is true that the syncing of lips and music is not always on target. This bothered me terribly at first, but then I found so much to love and admire about this production that it made little difference to me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.