Porgy and Bess cover

Porgy and Bess

George Gershwin · 2009

176 min · 59 tracks · classical music

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

79 /100
Summit
Higher than 99% of albums we've rated

This album showcases a masterful blend of classical and jazz elements, with strong compositions and high-quality orchestration.

What we noticed

  • The album features a full orchestral arrangement that blends classical elements with jazz motifs, creating a rich sonic landscape.
  • The instrumentation varies throughout, with sections highlighting strings, brass, and woodwinds to evoke different emotional tones.
  • Several tracks include call-and-response patterns typical of African American musical traditions, enhancing the cultural authenticity.
Composition 25% of the score
8/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
9/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
7/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
9/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
8/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 8/10

Defined its genre or moment. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I: Introduction 1:46
  • 2 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I: Summertime and the Livin' Is Easy 2:15
  • 3 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I: Seems Like These Bones Don't Give Me Nothin' but Boxcars Tonight 4:28
  • 4 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I: Lissen to Yo' Daddy Warn You / Oh a Woman Is a Sometime Thing 3:05
  • 5 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I: Here's the Ol' Crap Shark / No No Brudder 4:31
  • 6 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I: Here's Comes Big Boy 4:53
  • 7 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I: Six to Make 4:00
  • 8 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene I: Jesus He's Killed Him / That You Sportin' Life 5:04
  • 9 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene II: Where Is Brudder Robbins 3:38
  • 10 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene II: Come on Sister/Overflow Overflow 3:18
  • 11 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene II: Um a Saucer Buryin' Set Up I See 3:44
  • 12 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene II: My Man's Gone Now 4:16
  • 13 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene II: How De Saucer Stan' No My Sister 2:07
  • 14 Porgy and Bess: Act I, Scene II: Oh the Train Is at the Station 3:07
  • 15 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: Oh I'm a Goin' Out to the Blackfish Banks 3:37
  • 16 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: Mus' Be You Mens Forgot About De Picnic/Oh I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' 2:13
  • 17 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' 1:18
  • 18 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: Lissen There What I Tells You 1:23
  • 19 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: I Hates Yo' Struttin' Style 1:17
  • 20 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: Mornin' Lawyer Lookin' for Somebody 5:22
  • 21 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: Boy Come Here Boy 2:52
  • 22 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: Buzzard Keep on Flyin' Over 3:23

Disc 2

  • 1 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: 'Lo, Bess, goin' to de picnic? 3:17
  • 2 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: Honey, we sure goin' strut our stuff today! 0:43
  • 3 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: Bess, you is my woman now 5:09
  • 4 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene I: Oh, I can't sit down 4:12
  • 5 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene II: I ain't got no shame doin' what I like to do! 3:09
  • 6 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene II: It ain't necessarily so 4:30
  • 7 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene II: Shame on all you sinners 1:53
  • 8 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene II: Crown! / You know very well dis Crown! 3:24
  • 9 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene II: Oh, what you want wid Bess? 4:03
  • 10 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene III: Honey, dat's all de breakfast I got time for 2:53
  • 11 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene III: Well, if it ain' ole Peter! 2:24
  • 12 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene III: Oh, Doctor Jesus 2:33
  • 13 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene III: Oh dey's so fresh an' fine 1:11
  • 14 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene III: I'm talkin' about devil crabs 2:28
  • 15 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene III: Porgy, Porgy, dat you there, ain' it? 3:04
  • 16 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene III: If dere war'nt no Crown 2:37
  • 17 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene III: Why you been out on that wharf so long, Clara? 1:40
  • 18 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene IV: Oh, de Lawd shake de Heavens an' de Lawd rock de groun' 2:34
  • 19 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene IV: One of dese mornin's you goin' to rise up singin' 1:11
  • 20 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene IV: Oh, dere's somebody knockin' at de do' 1:30
  • 21 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene IV: You is a nice parcel of Christians 4:06
  • 22 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene IV: A read-headed woman make a choo-choo jump its track 1:36
  • 23 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene IV: Oh! Jake's boat in de river upside down! 1:02
  • 24 Porgy and Bess: Act II, Scene IV: All right, I'm goin' out to get Clara...Oh, Doctor Jesus 2:18

Disc 3

  • 1 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene I: Clara, Clara, don't you be downhearted / You low-life skunk, ain' you got no shame 6:23
  • 2 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene I: Summertime 3:48
  • 3 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene II: Wait for us at the corner, Al 5:02
  • 4 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene II: Oh, Gawd! They goin' make him look on Crown's face! 2:10
  • 5 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene II: There's a boat dat's leavin' soon for New York 4:07
  • 6 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene III: Introduction 1:17
  • 7 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene III: Symphony of Noise 4:18
  • 8 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene III: Good mornin', sistuh! / It's Porgy comin' home 2:58
  • 9 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene III: Dem white folks sure ain' put nuttin' over on this baby 2:57
  • 10 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene III: Here Mingo, what's de matter wid you all? 1:39
  • 11 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene III: Maria, Maria, where's Bess? 3:19
  • 12 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene III: Where Bess gone? 1:47
  • 13 Porgy and Bess: Act III, Scene III: Oh Lawd, I'm on my way 1:23

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Reference: MusicBrainz