Gershwin's Porky And Bess - Leontyne Price & William Warfield

 

There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York

Great Scenes From Gershwin's Porgy And Bess

Leontyne Price & William Warfield

Conductor: McHenry Boatwright & Skitch Henderson (Skitch Henderson appears through the courtesy of Columbia Records)

Produced by Richard Mohr

RCA Victor Orchestra and Chorus

Chorus Director: Lenoard de Paur

RCA Victor Red Seal STEREO LSC-2679

1963

From the inside cover: Leontyne Price was gaining recognition as a superb interpreter of contemporary music during the months she was winning acclaim as Bess. The producers of Porgy and Bess arranged schedules to allow her to sing a number of recitals both here and abroad. Finally, in May 1954, she left the company and that fall made her formal New York debut.

Her ascent to the pinnacle of her profession was swift and studded with triumphs in the opera houses of San Francisco, Vienna and Chicago, at La Scala, Covent Garden, Salzburg and finally at the Metropolitan Opera where she made her debut in January 1961. The ultimate seal of success was stamped on her meteoric rise when she opened the Met's 1961-62 season as the star of Puccini's The Girl Of The Golden West.

"...in the rarefied craft of acting with the voice alone, she has few, – if any – equal's wrote a leading magazine.

William Warfield, one of today's great vocal artists, had made a highly successful New York debut, his first tour of Australia, and had been featured as Joe in MGM's Show Boat before starring in Porgy and Bess. His portrayal of the humble cripple was acclaimed in Europe and gain in New York during the 1961 revival. He toured Europe for our State Department again in 1955 as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra on its first Continental tour. The following year he made his third such trip – a recital tour through Africa, the Near East and Western Europe. In 1958 concerts took Warfield around the world twice. In between these tours as a cultural emissary, the baritone has won acclaim in countless concerts and recitals throughout the Americas and Europe, as De Lawd in the television production of Green Pastures, and as featured artist in recent Casals Festivals.

John W. Bubbles, or, as he is known to followers of vaudeville, just plain Bubbles, was Gershwin's choice to create the role of Sportin' Life. "Many people questioned my choice of a vaudeville performer for an operatic role," wrote Gershwin, "but on the opening night they cheered Bubbles," A vaudevillian for more than forty years, he is still active in show business, not only on the vaudeville circuit but also as a frequent guest on TV's "Tonight" show.

McHenry Boatwright was eductated at the New England Conservatory, taking first a degree in piano and then returning to take one in voice. Launched by a command performance for President Eisenhower and an appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, the baritone made his concert debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1958. Since then he was won acclaim not only in this country but also in the Far East and in Europe, which he toured for the first time in 1961.

Skitch Henderson is equally at home in any type of music, be it Gershwin, Brucker or boogie-woogie;  be it for records, concert or television. At present Henderson, who is Music Director of NBC, is in charge of music for the "Tonight"show. He also composes a great deal for other television shows and is active as a guest conductor with leading symphony orchestras throughout the United States and Canada, in England and on the Continent.

Leonard de Paur has won wide recognition in music, notably as a conductor and arranger. He is probably best known as the founder-director of the de Paur Infantry Chorus which, during the years 1946-57, gave more than one thousand concerts in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and the Orient. He is currently at work on a recorded anthology of America Negro folk music and is organizing a tour with the newly formed de Paur Chorus

From Billboard - September 21, 1963: One of the most exciting albums in Victor's fall release. Price and Warfield are at the top of their powers in an intense realization of this history-making Gershwin score. Supporting roles are dramatically portrayed by John W. Bubbles ("Sportin' Life) and McHenry Boatwright (Crown). Skitch Henderson conducts.

Act I

Introduction

Summertime

A Woman Is Some Thing

Gone, Gone, Gone

Act II

I Got Plenty Of Nuttin'

Bess, You Is My Woman

It Ain't Necessarily So

What You Want Wid Bess?

I Loves You, Porgy

Act III

There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York

Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess

Oh Lawn, I'm On My Way