Gershwin: Porgy and Bess Suite

George Gershwin (1898-1937) Porgy and Bess - Symphonic picture for orchestra Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture (1942) is an orchestral medley arranged by George Gershwin's good friend and assistant, Russell Bennett. The suite contains the most famous songs from Gershwin's 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The opera depicts the lives of the poor black settlers in the Catfish Row neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina, around 1870. Here, the crippled Porgy falls in love with the abandoned Bess, but Crown, Bess's husband, does everything to prevent their happiness. The drama is also about resilience and a society's hope for a better future, despite the experience of the cruel opposite. The music reflects Gershwin's jazz roots in New York, but is also based on the traditions of the American South, such as blues, worship songs, work songs and spirituals. Gershwin further developed the music, blending these influences with arias and recitatives from the European operatic tradition. The suite contains a string of well-known hits, such as Summertime, I Got Plenty O' Nuttin', Bess, You Is My Woman Now and It Ain't Necessarily So.