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| Gershwin, George: Porgy and Bess
Gershwin, George: Porgy and Bess
Porgy and
Bess
An American jazz
opera written by George Gershwin
George Gershwin was born on September, 26 in
1898 in New York. He soon began to play the piano and became a professional
piano player and composer in his late teens. His most famous compositions are
“Rhapsody in Blue” and “Concerto in F”.
Gershwin hit on the idea of writing “Porgy
and Bess” after reading the novel “Porgy” by DuBose Hewyard.
In the summer of 1935 Gershwin, his brother Ira, DuBose Hewyard and his wife
wrote that three-act opera. During Gershwin’s lifetime it was not very
successful. It was performed more frequently in Europe, where people appreciated
how Gershwin had connected certain elements of European music with the American
jazz of the 1920’s and 30’s.
“Porgy and Bess” deals with the poor
blacks in the ghettos and their daily lives and loves. Gershwin used a very
colloquial language (“Bess, you is my woman”, “Porgy, I loves
you”). The opera takes place in Catfish Row, a small, poor village in the
south.
ACT I
The rude sailor Crown kills the dockworker
Robbins, because he loses very often in a game of dice. Crown flees from the
police, his girlfriend Bess hides at Porgy’s place. Porgy is a maimed
beggar, who has to walk around in a goat-drawn cart and he is secretly in love
with Bess.
The most famous piece, “Summertime”,
a lullaby, is sung in this act. It also contains some nice spirituals sung for
the dead Robbins.
ACT II
Act two takes place one month later. Porgy and
Bess are very happy together; she promises that she will never leave him. The
whole village except Porgy is going to a picnic on a small island
nearby.
When the picnic is in full swing, they hear the
ship that will bring them back home As they leave leisurely Crown appears and
tells Bess that he will come back to her soon. Although she explains that she
would rather stay with Porgy, he kisses her. Bess tries to run away, but he
follows her into the woods.
Two days later Bess returns and is very ill. The
religious Maria cures her by her prayers. Bess tells Porgy that she’d like
to stay with him, but that she won’t be able to resist if Crown comes to
take her away.
ACT III
Finally Crown comes to take Bess, but Porgy
stabs and strangles him. Then he exclaims, “Bess, you got a man
now”.
Everybody at Catfish Row denies that he has seen
anything, nevertheless Porgy is taken away by the police. While he is in prison,
Sportin’ Life, a drug dealer and a friend of Crown, tries to persuade Bess
to come to New York with him. He gives her some cocaine.
A week later Porgy returns from jail and asks
for Bess. When he hears that she has gone to New York with Sportin’ Life
he follows her in his cart.
goat-drawn cart: Wagen, gezogen von einer
Ziege
dockworker:
Hafenarbeiter
lullaby: Wiegenliedto
strangle: erwürgen
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