Customer Reviews

The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess / Rattle, White, Haymon, Glyndebourne Opera [VHS]

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

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

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.

For those who are looking for the 1959 Otto Preminger film of "Porgy and Bess" with Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge: you may as well stop looking. The Gershwin family a long, long time ago had all the prints as well as the original film negative totally destroyed. The Gershwins did not like the 1959 film, thought it did a disservice to George Gershwin, bought the rights to it and destroyed the entire production. I was always under the impression that only barbarians destroyed works of art, but these relations of the great composer gave me a whole new view of the meaning of the word "barbarian." So be happy with the current VHS tape. I saw this production on stage and it is just as good on tape. Hopefully, the DVD will be out soon. The following is for the folks who put out hundreds of trashy horror movies on DVD but who don't give a tinker's damn about such things as opera classics: put this production on DVD! The 1959 movie is, literally, history. This is all we have, and it is wonderful!

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.

This version is well-enough sung and performed but has the obvious limitations of a Made-for-TV production.To answer the questions of many who have posted reviews for this title, the Gershwin estate owns the negatives and rights to the 1959 Dandridge-Poitier version. Done more as a musical than an opera,the Gershwins did not like it and have apparently taken legal action to prevent it from ever being shown again.They were even advertising in Variety for privately owned prints to buy and possibly destroy. Few creators are ever totally happy with the film versions of their works-for memory this was a generally powerful filmization with GREAT acting and fine(mostly dubbed) vocals.I hope the Gershwins will lighten up and let the public once again decide for themselves on the merits/flaws of this film. Censoring it only robs them of revenue and the public the opportunity to view the work of those involved.ANNIE GET YOUR GUN is tied up with the estate of Irving Berlin in the same manner but for different reasons...

Several other users have said everything I'm going to, but their opinions may get lost amongst the overwhelming majority of comments lamenting the unavailability of the 1959 film version of "Porgy & Bess". Let's just get some of the basic facts straight again.

The "original" production of "Porgy & Bess" as an opera took place in 1935 on stage. Even this premiere presentation was abridged, both to conform to the conventions of Broadway (where it was originally presented), and to spare the voices of the leads, particularly Porgy (which is why the "Buzzard Song" was cut from the first production).

In a sense, the first time the opera was presented as Gershwin truly envisioned it was by the Houston Grand Opera in 1976, with the full score restored, as well as the recitative passages which were frequently changed to spoken dialogue in earlier productions.

The film version was an aberration-- I've never seen it, but have read quite a bit about it, and it seems clear that this version was intended as more of a musical than an opera. Also, most of the parts were dubbed by other singers, so those who complain about about this issue on the current DVD release of the Glyndebourne production should bear that in mind.

The Gershwin estate *is* responsible for squashing any trace of the PReminger film, which I think is a shame if only for reasons of artistic free speech, but the censorship becomes more understandable when you see how many Amazon.com users have posted comments that demonstrate the 1959 film is, to a large degree, what the public sees as the true "Porgy & Bess". And this is after almost 50 years of supressing the film from public view!

OK, so all the above said, what about the Glyndebourne DVD? I think it's exceptionally well done, but share some of the reservations noted by others: the lip synching is distractingly off at points (particularly if you're watching on a large screen TV); I find the sound mixing occassionally off, sometimes drowning out the vocal lines.

But these are minor quibbles. I can't imagine a true operatic trreatment as a film. I can't even think of a precedent. It's taken for granted that cinematic presentations of Shakespeare will be abridged, rearrange, and reinterpreted, and the same holds true for film treatments of opera. The forms just don't naturally jell.

Television can present opera as opera, with just enough opening up of the action to prevent the story from feeling static or stagebound. And I think Trevor Nunn has done just this, with some creative and original interpretations of his own. Whether you like the change he's made to the ending or not, I think you have to admire the creativity behind it. It's certainly not exploitative. At worst, it's a bit sentimental. I find it inspiring, in a metaphorical way. I don't think the miracle is meant to be taken quite literally.

The performances are uniformally excellent, powerful and dignified. I was personally most impressed by Cynthia Haymon as Bess, who is really the only character to undergo a major transformation through the course of the story. She is believable, earthily beatiful, and the sympathy you feel for her intensifies the heartbreaking tragedy of her fate.

Those who have complained about the acting performances simply don't understand that opera acting is generally stylized, similarly to silent film acting. There's also an unfortunate history of only semi-competent acting in the opera world, but I can't point to a single weak link in the cast of this DVD production.

This is a creative, faithful adaptation for television of the opera as it was intended to be seen by Gershwin himself. The 1959 film should be available for contemporary evaluation, but it's simply unfair to knock this wonderful 1993 prodcution on the basis of dimly nostalgic memories of the lost Preminger film. I do wish the sound were a bit better, and that the lip synching was better matched to the dubbed vocals, but these are intellectual, trivial criticisms of what I find to be a musically and emotionally powerful presentation of Gershwin's masterpiece.

It's only to sad that this page has become a forum for the Otto Preminger Movie, "Porgy And Bess." So, for people who have actually seen this version, you will be absolutly astonished. This is the best Opera ever made, and this interpretation of it is well deserving. For theatre lovers, the sets in this musical are unlike any other sets you've ever seen! I mean, How many theatrical sets have you seen with an actual river in it? The singing is beautiful, however I will agree that at sometimes it is hard to understand some of the lyrics. None-the-less this is a superb representation of this masterpiece, and its the only "Porgy and Bess" currently available on VHS. This was made for television but shown as it was on the stage, such as "Into The Woods," "Passion" and other musical, operas, made to view for people who aren't readily available to go to the theatre. This is a pretty hard tape to find, and for Amazon to carry it is really nice. Buy this VHS if you love this beautifully historical opera, you won't be dissapointed!

This two-tape version actually was superb but it doesn't compare with Samuel Goldwyn's 1959 masterpiece directed by Otto Preminger starring Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis, Jr., Pearl Bailey, Brock Peters and Diahann Carroll. For all those who are major fans of and are interested in seeing the 1959 version, please feel free to E-Mail me!

I have been fortunate enough to see three live performances of "Porgy and Bess" as an opera: first the Houston Grand Opera production with Donnie Rae Albert and Clamma Dale around 20 years ago, then the Met production with Roberta Alexander around 10 years ago, and most recently Alvy Powell and Marquita Lister in Hartford 3 years or so ago. It's a great work, and richly deserves a production as lovingly prepared as this one. Let me first say the cast is superb. This is "Porgy and Bess" sung the way I'm conviced George Gershwin envisioned it, as an opera. There are, however, a few disappointing (to me) features of the production. To begin with, no goat! Porgy is a crippled beggar who transports himself by driving a goat cart. Here, he maneuvers himself around on makeshift crutches. In the final scene, therefore, he has to say "I must go" [after Bess] instead of the original devastating "Bring my goat." When he repeats "Bring my goat" the request becomes a command. Having him repeat "I must go" is not nearly as effective, since he's not asking anyone to do anything for him. When he does leave, it's without the crutches, as he hobbles off into a Hollywood fadeout. The reason for dropping his crutches escapes me. Also, Sportin' Life's "There's a Boat Leaving Soon for New York" ends with Bess slamming the door after entering the room she shares with Porgy. It leaves the false impression that she's resisted Sportin' Life's tempting offer. So it comes as a shock to us as well as Porgy when she's not around to welcome Porgy home. The Met staged this especially well, having Bess enter the room, then reach out to take the "happy dust" Sportin' Life leaves for her, finally slinking back out, one long bare leg first, having changed back into the tart outfit she wore at the beginning of the opera. Then there's the matter of the "Buzzard Song" -- why was it cut? It was cut at the first New York production, I know, but so was the Jasbo Brown piano solo, and that's here in a nicely done sleazy nightclub introductory scene. I also wish there had been subtitles -- although the work is sung in English, anyone with any experience listening to opera knows that the words do frequently get lost. Finally, there's the lip-synching problems mentioned by several prior reviewers. One last thing -- at least on the VCR I used to watch this, the orchestral sound was not forward enough. Opera is singing, yes, but the orchestra plays a vital role, and it needs to be heard, especially with the wonderful touches Gershwin has written into this masterpiece. I also thought Simon Rattle's conducting was, at times, a little flaccid. But with so much of value in this production, I still recommend it highly, as probably the only video production we're likely to have for some time.

Porgy and Bess is an American Treasue. An opera written by George Gershwin, a brilliant composer of Popular Music in the 1930's. A landmark piece, much like his Rhapsody in Blue. There is an amazing book detailing the 1950's tour of the opera through Russia by Truman Capote. The movie that everybody seems to be so keen on is merely one, not-so-popular interpretation of this opera. Of course it would be nice to have that available as well, but the Preminger movie is not the ultimate interpretation of this work! His Carmen Jones may be the only version we will have in America in our lifetime since the brilliant British production didn't make it to our shores - but Porgy and Bess is being produced more and more, and I say, God Bless It! P&B is moving into the same arena where Tosca lives, and La Boheme and La Traviata. It is not a movie. What we have here is a fairly dazzling production of a classic work by some extremely talented artists who are giving us yet another intepretation of a brilliant American work of art. Porgy and Bess will go on for centuries, outliving not only all of us, but the Preminger movie as well. The work is a living and breathing work of art. It, like Hamlet, should be re-interpreted for every generation, not frozen in time like the 1950s movie. Get over it! Watch this production. Watch the next production. Grow with the new interpretations of this classic. And remember, Porgy and Bess existed and was a classic long before the movie was ever thought of.