I bought this in mind for the reason I am posting it ( which will be revealed later). I paid $5 for this. I am sure by this point in the month, you are quite well aware that due to the fact that I burn out on post writing by month’s end, I decided to write this month’s posts from the end to the beginning. Thus, this would be the first post of the month, in terms of putting it done on screen. Still in the midst of COVID-19 lockdown while writing this Hopefully, society is still a thing when this comes out.
Here we are with a Dynagroove 1963 recording of excerpts from George Gershwin’s much maligned at the time, 1935 folk opera. The two main singers, Leontyne Price (Laurel, Miss 1927) and William Warfield (West Helena, Ark 1920-2002) ,both of which featured in a successful 1952 touring revival, which was one of the first of the period to perform behind the Iron Curtain. The tour returned to the US and ran until 1956. Coincidentally, Price and Warfield married before the tour, but were separated by 1967.
The record also features Skitch Henderson conducting the orchestra and Leonard de Paur directing the chorus as well as famed opera singer McHenry Boatwright as Crown and reprising his original role of Sportin’ Life, John W. Bubbles. This would mark the only recorded score of Bubbles performing this work.
Also, just because I have civic pride, a 1976 revival at none other than the Houston Grand Opera is largely credited with swinging popular opinion towards the work. It was the first time to be staged by a proper opera company as opposed to a Broadway troupe. According to Wikipedia, the production won a Grammy as well as a Tony, thus becoming the only opera to receive one.
Putting the stereotypes aside, the work really has some great music. And the performances on this record are quite wonderful. Overall, a pretty good record. I actually think this is the first time I heard this from proper opera singers.
There were a lot of great songs on here. However, I bought this due to the very ill thought idea of presentign a month of nothing but “Summertime”. Luckilly, I pulled away from this idea. However, I felt that it would make a perfect bookend as I started the summer with the song , and thus here I am ending it with a combo of “Summertime/ A Woman is a Sometime Thing”.
I feel funny starting writing these posts and saying see you next month, but. see you next month. Satisfactory record by the way.