Who composed the music for the opera Porgy and Bess, about 1920s African American life in Charleston, South Carolina?
Porgy and Bess racially charged theme, a 1976 Houston Grand Opera production gained it new popularity, and it is now one of the best-known and most frequently performed operas. Gershwin read "Porgy" in 1926 and proposed to Heyward to collaborate on an operatic version. In 1934, Gershwin and Heyward began work on the project by visiting the author's native Charleston, South Carolina. In a 1935 "New York Times" article, Gershwin explained why he called "Porgy and Bess" a folk opera: Porgy and Bess is a folk tale. Its people naturally would sing folk music. When I first began work in the music I
Porgy and Bess Capote traveled with the cast and crew, and wrote an account included in his book "The Muses Are Heard". The first performances of "Porgy and Bess" in Charleston, South Carolina, were presented in 1970 as part of South Carolina's Tricentennial celebration. The performances were a collaborative effort of the Choraliers Music Club, led by James Edwards, and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Lucien DeGroote. The part of Porgy was played by Reuben Wright. The collaboration of the two groups was evidence that race relations in Charleston had improved. In 1971 excerpts from the opera were presented by the same