Composer

:

Robert Russell Bennett

Genre

:

Orchestral

Style

:

Orchestral

Average_duration

:

25:44

I'm sorry, but Robert Russell Bennett did not compose "Porgy and Bess." The opera was composed by George Gershwin, with a libretto by DuBose Heyward and lyrics by Heyward and Ira Gershwin. It premiered on September 30, 1935, at the Alvin Theatre in New York City. "Porgy and Bess" is a three-act opera that tells the story of the African American residents of Catfish Row, a fictional neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina. The plot centers around the love story between Porgy, a disabled beggar, and Bess, a woman with a troubled past who is involved with a violent drug dealer named Crown. The opera features a number of memorable songs, including "Summertime," "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'," and "Bess, You Is My Woman Now." The music draws heavily on African American musical traditions, including spirituals, blues, and jazz. The opera has been praised for its portrayal of African American life and culture, but has also been criticized for perpetuating stereotypes and for its use of white performers in blackface. Despite these controversies, "Porgy and Bess" has become a beloved classic of American opera, and has been performed around the world.

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