Porgy and Bess (Selections): Original Cast and Other Early Recordings (Recorded 1935–1942)

~ Release by Gershwin; Anne Brown, Todd Duncan, Avon Long, Paul Robeson, Lawrence Tibbett, Jascha Heifetz (see all versions of this release, 1 available)

Annotation

1.1–1.17: recordings by members of the original cast with Decca Symphony Orchestra (1940, 1942)
1.18–1.25: recordings by members of the original cast with Leo Reisman’s Orchestra (1935, 1942)
2.1–2.20: first contemporary recordings (1935–1945)

Annotation last modified on 2023-12-10 04:52 UTC.

Tracklist

1▶CD: Original Cast Recordings
2▼CD: First Contemporary Recordings
#TitleArtistRatingLength
1Lullaby: Summertime / Livin’s Easy
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-10-23)
vocals:
Helen Jepson (soprano) (on 1935-10-23)
conductor:
Alexander Smallens (conductor) (on 1935-10-23)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Helen Jepson & Chorus2:28
2Summertime and Crap Game
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-10-14)
vocals:
Helen Jepson (soprano) (on 1935-10-14) and Lawrence Tibbett (baritone) (on 1935-10-14)
conductor:
Alexander Smallens (conductor) (on 1935-10-14)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Helen Jepson, Lawrence Tibbett & Chorus1:15
3A Woman Is a Sometime Thing
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-10-14)
vocals:
Lawrence Tibbett (baritone) (on 1935-10-14)
conductor:
Alexander Smallens (conductor) (on 1935-10-14)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Lawrence Tibbett & Chorus2:01
4My Man’s Gone Now
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-10-30)
vocals:
Helen Jepson (soprano) (on 1935-10-30)
conductor:
Nathaniel Shilkret (on 1935-10-30)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Helen Jepson & Chorus4:08
5I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-10-23)
vocals:
Lawrence Tibbett (baritone) (on 1935-10-23)
conductor:
Alexander Smallens (conductor) (on 1935-10-23)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Lawrence Tibbett & Chorus3:05
6Buzzard Song
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-10-23)
vocals:
Lawrence Tibbett (baritone) (on 1935-10-23)
conductor:
Alexander Smallens (conductor) (on 1935-10-23)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Lawrence Tibbett & Chorus3:48
7Bess, You Is My Woman Now
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-10-14)
vocals:
Helen Jepson (soprano) (on 1935-10-14) and Lawrence Tibbett (baritone) (on 1935-10-14)
conductor:
Alexander Smallens (conductor) (on 1935-10-14)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Lawrence Tibbett & Helen Jepson4:55
8It Ain’t Necessarily So
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-10-23)
vocals:
Lawrence Tibbett (baritone) (on 1935-10-23)
conductor:
Alexander Smallens (conductor) (on 1935-10-23)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Lawrence Tibbett & Chorus3:00
9Where Is My Bess?
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1935-10-23)
vocals:
Lawrence Tibbett (baritone) (on 1935-10-23)
conductor:
Alexander Smallens (conductor) (on 1935-10-23)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Lawrence Tibbett3:04
10Lullaby: Summertime / Livin’s Easy
recorded in:
London (Greater London), England, United Kingdom (on 1938-01-14)
bass-baritone vocals:
Paul Robeson (American bass baritone) (on 1938-01-14)
conductor:
Clifford Greenwood (on 1938-01-14)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Paul Robeson, Orchestra conducted by Clifford Greenwood2:34
11A Woman Is a Sometime Thing
recorded in:
London (Greater London), England, United Kingdom (on 1938-01-21)
bass-baritone vocals:
Paul Robeson (American bass baritone) (on 1938-01-21)
conductor:
Clifford Greenwood (on 1938-01-21)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Paul Robeson, Orchestra conducted by Clifford Greenwood2:18
12It Takes a Long Pull to Get There
recorded in:
London (Greater London), England, United Kingdom (on 1938-01-14)
bass-baritone vocals:
Paul Robeson (American bass baritone) (on 1938-01-14)
conductor:
Clifford Greenwood (on 1938-01-14)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Paul Robeson, Orchestra conducted by Clifford Greenwood3:00
13It Ain’t Necessarily So
recorded in:
London (Greater London), England, United Kingdom (on 1938-01-21)
bass-baritone vocals:
Paul Robeson (American bass baritone) (on 1938-01-21)
conductor:
Clifford Greenwood (on 1938-01-21)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
Paul Robeson, Orchestra conducted by Clifford Greenwood2:30
14Summertime
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1945-11-28)
piano:
Emmanuel Bay (on 1945-11-28)
violin:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist) (on 1945-11-28)
arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
recording of:
Porgy and Bess: Summertime (for violin and piano, arr. Heifetz) (on 1945-11-28)
composer:
George Gershwin (composer)
piano and violin arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
arrangement of:
Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I. “Summertime” (Clara)
Jascha Heifetz with Emmanuel Bay1:45
15A Woman Is a Sometime Thing
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1945-11-28)
piano:
Emmanuel Bay (on 1945-11-28)
violin:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist) (on 1945-11-28)
arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
recording of:
Porgy and Bess: A Woman Is a Sometime Thing (for violin and piano, arr. Heifetz) (on 1945-11-28)
composer:
George Gershwin (composer)
piano and violin arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
arrangement of:
Porgy and Bess: Act Ⅰ, Scene Ⅰ. “Lissen to yo’ daddy warn you … A woman is a sometime thing”
Jascha Heifetz with Emmanuel Bay1:48
16My Man’s Gone Now
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1945-11-28)
piano:
Emmanuel Bay (on 1945-11-28)
violin:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist) (on 1945-11-28)
arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
recording of:
Porgy and Bess: My Man's Gone Now (for violin and piano, arr. Heifetz) (on 1945-11-28)
composer:
George Gershwin (composer)
piano and violin arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
arrangement of:
Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene II. “My Man’s Gone Now”
Jascha Heifetz with Emmanuel Bay3:50
17It Ain’t Necessarily So
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1945-11-28)
piano:
Emmanuel Bay (on 1945-11-28)
violin:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist) (on 1945-11-28)
arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
recording of:
Porgy and Bess: It Ain’t Necessarily So (for piano and violin, arr. Heifetz) (on 1945-11-28)
composer:
George Gershwin (composer)
piano and violin arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
arrangement of:
Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene II. “It ain’t necessarily so” (Sportin’ Life)
Jascha Heifetz with Emmanuel Bay2:28
18Bess, You Is My Woman Now
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1945-11-28)
piano:
Emmanuel Bay (on 1945-11-28)
violin:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist) (on 1945-11-28)
arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
recording of:
Porgy and Bess: Bess, You Is My Woman Now (for violin and piano, arr. Heifetz) (on 1945-11-28)
composer:
George Gershwin (composer)
piano and violin arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
arrangement of:
Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I. “Bess, You Is My Woman Now”
Jascha Heifetz with Emmanuel Bay3:02
19Tempo di Blues: There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York
recorded in:
New York, New York, United States (on 1945-11-28)
piano:
Emmanuel Bay (on 1945-11-28)
violin:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist) (on 1945-11-28)
arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
recording of:
Porgy and Bess: Tempo di Blues (for violin and piano, arr. Heifetz) (on 1945-11-28)
composer:
George Gershwin (composer)
piano and violin arranger:
Jascha Heifetz (violinist)
arrangement of:
Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene II. “There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York”
Jascha Heifetz with Emmanuel Bay2:51
20Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture
recorded in:
Los Angeles, California, United States (on 1944-08-09)
orchestra:
The Philharmonic Orchestra of Los Angeles (on 1944-08-09)
conductor:
Alfred Wallenstein (conductor and cellist) (on 1944-08-09)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
HNH International Ltd. (not for release label use!) (in 2003)
recording of:
Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture (arr. Robert Russell Bennett) (on 1944-08-09)
orchestrator:
Robert Russell Bennett (American composer and arranger) (in 1942)
composer:
George Gershwin (composer) (from 1934 until 1935)
was commissioned by:
Fritz Reiner (conductor)
publisher:
Warner Chappell Music Ltd. (no slash; used 1988–1996)
is based on:
Porgy and Bess
The Philharmonic Orchestra of Los Angeles, Alfred Wallenstein15:48