Ben, my heart broke reading this. Thank you for the beautiful words, keep hanging on those nice memories.

Ben Crowley blessings to you and Godspeed

Ben Crowley hey you ok?

Ben, if you're still with us...try a plant-based diet.

Awww God bless you!

I'll have to give that a listen! I'm sure it's incredible if she's the one singing it

+Eric Tyra , might you be mistaken as to who dubbed the voice? I found this (not that everything on the internet is correct). "The film's renditions of "Summertime" by Loulie Jean Norman (dubbing Diahann Carroll) and Adele Addison (dubbing Dorothy Dandridge) have placed at #52 in the AFI's (American Film Institute) list of the 100 Best Movie Songs of All Time."

you are correct Marty Wilson

Close. Hit the show button above.

Yes she's where Katy Perry and Miley got their influence from LOL.

I lost my dad 11 years ago . He too loved this song. He passed at age 96

Max Hayden omg 😯

Im breathless....

What a treat that was...

Omg my first name is Hayden and my middle name is maxwell but I go by max this is so crazy

Those are the kind of parties I would like to get an invite to.

Now you mention it I can see the rocking vibe, makes it a lullaby. Excellent observation.

Piss off with your snobbery. People are allowed to like whatever they like. This might be how it's meant to be but many people prefer the less operatic versions of the song particularly as the character is black and opera is not a sound associated with black culture or a character of this time period. I have every clue what it takes to sing like this having sung opera and trained in opera singing at stage school, that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Exactly

I agree! I don’t know how anyone could say anything negative about this performance. This is exactly how this song should be sung, stylistically and technically. I listened to several other recordings before finding this one, and none of them captured the mood that I was looking for and this is absolutely perfect. Exactly how I hear this song in my head.

I agree with your comments, i fell that gershwing has something to say, in his soul , in his own body , in his family' s story. that' s why the result is so expressive, intense, but never vulgar. It' s not so usual in opera, or any way of music, much others stories are often ridiculous and these music ' are made for a typical society, not especialy for humanity. Gershwing seems to compose as Ravel did, in europe, but with much more reality, on earth as it might be in even. his own piano makes me cry so deeply, as noone could do, he was surely a genius, an affective genius. In France where i am living, just a few people can hear and fell his soul, he can express both of the Klezmer identity and jazz actuality of his time...and so much more. It's not strong, it is true, from the begining to the end. With that composer, i feel confident , far away from theatre. Just a respectable man we 'd like to get friend. I also think so with Zoltan Kodaly, another style, another world, by the same faith in life and humanity. I spent my time in the Paris society of the Eightees, " Salle Pleyel", and was to much desapointed/... With Gershwing, i feel good, at home. without frontiers. Christian Guignard, France

I agree and would even go so far to say that Porgy and Bess is a much better opera than many standard operas, which are mostly full of the same love stories and fat ladies like a bollywood musical. This one is unique and portrays the (sad) story of poverty and struggle in African American society at the turn of 19th century. I think it is one of the greatest and most daring operas every written. And no one can match black singers. Just no one. They are made for classical music. Orchestras denied entry for blacks while Gershwin made an entire opera for them to sing!

Larry Mitchell yes, yes, and yes--and yet the MET has not played it for years let alone on their Broadcasts--does anyone know why??

***** yes, its way ahead of its time--yet hardly any house does it--wonder why

Christian Guignard There are a lot of serious operas, not just one's about clowns, baroque gods, and goofy stuff.

Just spend at least 10 years training, and it'll be involuntary with good technique. Easy, right?

I agree 1000%

sing while driving over a bunch of speed bumps

❤😢❤❤😢

Always makes me teary eyed as well.

what is the key of last note?c6?

Ki ng No, b5. (I just checked on my piano)

Not as beautiful as you ; )

@@marktwane6195 I got your reply while watching this exact production of Porgy and Bess on YT! Wow, good timing! And a very sweet comment. :)

isn’t it just…

Apparently Gershwin was impressed by an old Ukrainian lullaby "Oh, a dream walks about near the windows" [«Ой ходить сон коло вікон»] that bears this melody that he heard in 1929 sung by a choir under the direction of O. Koshitsa [О. Кошиця]. Gershwin finished the opera in 1935. twitter.com/History_Ukraine/status/947887954604843009

+jdsol1938 I've listened to many dozens of versions of this great song. Some by greats, near greats, pros & beginners. Miles, Kathleen Battle, Sublime, Janis, Ella, Lady 'day, Herbie Mann, "Sassy," Whitney, Celine, Sinatra, Fantasia, Callas, Sam Cooke, Billy Stewart's over the top version,.... Nothing surpasses the original motion picture version...of course.

I agree

I listened to all versions, best one is alternate take by Janis Joplin

+Larry Mitchell Absolutely.

American Masterpiece

Gershwin was a genius

Logitah whatever

Francina Ferreyra Why so cynical? I just told a little story about why this song means a lot to me.

Logitah Thank you for sharing this. It made me smile!

thank you for sharing and you have such lovely memory of your grandmother

Logitah. Because it was "Summertime"! Duh!!!

Nice

Why are you saying "listless"? Gershwin took his inspiration for this song from blues and jazz.

I think you mistake my meaning. I’m saying that many lesser musicians down the years have taken GG’s beautiful harmonies, indeed inspired by jazz and blues, and dumbed them down to a three-chord 12-bar with minor chords replacing the majors, losing the unique and mysterious character of his composition. A little better effort on their part to learn his harmonies would remedy that. On the other hand, they have a right to play it any way they choose, and I have a right to find their interpretation as listless, boring, inferior to the original, etc. and share that take, true?

@@alonzogarbanzo ok you got a fair point! With your explanation I realize I misinterpreted your comment

its a great opera

The jazz version was inspired by this original.

Condolences, it is a magnificent song

Thank you...Best Regards...

I'm not sure if you know what those terms mean...

Why do you say that my friend?

merianaki1

Duda

merianaki1 i

Nicole Bentham Me too.

It works for lower registers if you transpose it! I'm a mezzo-soprano or alto depending on who you ask (range roughly from F3-F5, at least it was in high school. I haven't checked it recently.) , and I learned to sing it just fine.

Fantasia.

Not even close. Harolyn sang this at the 1990 Grammys, and brought the house down. It's on You Tube.

Agree

She's definitely the best I've ever heard--and I've heard many people attempt to sing this song, and they've ruined it. I would have liked to hear Whitney Houston or Natalie Cole perform this song, but sadly, we can't.😔⛪

It’s in the description

William Guzman yesssssss!!!

I'm here because a chick I really want to poke likes this shit and I can't commit to the 3 hours of the full thing its really terrible 4 mins in I barfed all over my dog I think this is more of a cat persons thing

Me too.

I am here because of Darci. Although this one is classical, I would prefer to listen to Darci's version.

yep

Amen, I use the Ella Fitzgerald version