George Gershwin first encountered the novel shortly after it was published and approached Heyward about rights shortly afterwards – but they only started collaboration on the work in the 18 months before the premiere. The libretto, written by Edwin DuBose Heyward and the composer’s brother Ira Gershwin, was based on Heyward’s 1925 novel ‘Porgy’ and his own subsequent theatrical version of it. Given that the first black singer to appear at The Met (the old house), the contralto Marian Anderson, only did so in January 1955, the work has seen relatively few stagings by the company the first was in 1985. That said, it easily stands in the listings of some of the most original and stageworthy 20th-century operas, one almost without precedent in that it requires a cast largely comprised of black singers (Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha is another such example that had its original staging in 1915).

George Gershwin composed Porgy and Bess, premiered in 1935, specifically for operatic treatment, although it has been frequently staged by smaller theatres and music-theatre companies more as a ‘classic’ musical type of presentation throughout its history.

The Classical Source once again brings you a handy guide to all ten of the Metropolitan Opera productions included in this season’s international broadcast series. LnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lciAudGItY29udGFpbmVyLWlubmVye3dpZHRoOjEwMCU7bWFyZ2luOjAgYXV0b30gLndwLWJsb2NrLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWNvbnRhaW5lci50Yi1jb250YWluZXJbZGF0YS10b29sc2V0LWJsb2Nrcy1jb250YWluZXI9IjQwYzI5MzExNWE1YzlmYjMxMWIwODExNGM5ZGZiMDZkIl0geyBwYWRkaW5nOiAyNXB4O2JveC1zaGFkb3c6IDVweCA1cHggMTBweCAwIHJnYmEoIDEzNSwgMTgsIDcxLCAwLjUgKTtib3JkZXI6IDJweCBkb3R0ZWQgcmdiYSggMTM1LCAxOCwgNzEsIDEgKTsgfSAudGItZmllbGRbZGF0YS10b29sc2V0LWJsb2Nrcy1maWVsZD0iZDFiYmQ3NGQwMTEzYzMzMWU4M2UxZWRhNjZjZmU2N2MiXSBhIHsgdGV4dC1kZWNvcmF0aW9uOiBub25lOyB9ICBAbWVkaWEgb25seSBzY3JlZW4gYW5kIChtYXgtd2lkdGg6IDc4MXB4KSB7IC50Yi1jb250YWluZXIgLnRiLWNvbnRhaW5lci1pbm5lcnt3aWR0aDoxMDAlO21hcmdpbjowIGF1dG99LnRiLWZpZWxkW2RhdGEtdG9vbHNldC1ibG9ja3MtZmllbGQ9ImQxYmJkNzRkMDExM2MzMzFlODNlMWVkYTY2Y2ZlNjdjIl0gYSB7IHRleHQtZGVjb3JhdGlvbjogbm9uZTsgfSAgIH0gQG1lZGlhIG9ubHkgc2NyZWVuIGFuZCAobWF4LXdpZHRoOiA1OTlweCkgeyAudGItY29udGFpbmVyIC50Yi1jb250YWluZXItaW5uZXJ7d2lkdGg6MTAwJTttYXJnaW46MCBhdXRvfS50Yi1maWVsZFtkYXRhLXRvb2xzZXQtYmxvY2tzLWZpZWxkPSJkMWJiZDc0ZDAxMTNjMzMxZTgzZTFlZGE2NmNmZTY3YyJdIGEgeyB0ZXh0LWRlY29yYXRpb246IG5vbmU7IH0gICB9IA=

Porgy and bess met opera