Behind the Music with Louis Rosen: The Making of Porgy and Bess

Porgy and Bess was ten years in the making, from the moment George Gershwin became entranced by the operatic possibilities of DeBose Hayward’s novel about life in a rundown waterfront ghetto of Gullah blacks, to the historic October 1935 premiere.

We’ll trace the evolution of the composition, placing a dual emphasis on what makes the work distinctly operatic — its arias, choral sequences, thematic relationships, recitatives — and Gershwin’s unique approach to song. In addition, we’ll discuss the work’s performance history and its only gradual acceptance as the greatest American opera.











When: Thu., May. 5, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Where: The 92nd Street Y, New York
1395 Lexington Ave.
212-415-5500
Price: $45
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Porgy and Bess was ten years in the making, from the moment George Gershwin became entranced by the operatic possibilities of DeBose Hayward’s novel about life in a rundown waterfront ghetto of Gullah blacks, to the historic October 1935 premiere.

We’ll trace the evolution of the composition, placing a dual emphasis on what makes the work distinctly operatic — its arias, choral sequences, thematic relationships, recitatives — and Gershwin’s unique approach to song. In addition, we’ll discuss the work’s performance history and its only gradual acceptance as the greatest American opera.

Buy tickets/get more info now