NERVE ENDINGS CONCERT TO EXPLORE SOCIOLOGY OF "PORGY AND BESS"
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Portland, Ore. … America's most famous folk opera, Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," will be explored as both a musical work and a sociological commentary in an Oregon Symphony Nerve Endings concert/drama written by Resident Conductor Murry Sidlin titled "October 10, 1935: The Sociology of George, Bess and Porgy" Friday, Jan. 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlene Schntizer Concert Hall. Nerve Endings is sponsored by BridgePort Brewing Company. Media support is provided by The Oregonian.

Featuring the Portland Symphonic Choir and four soloists as singers and actors, the evening will unfold in four parts, Sidlin said, in a presentation of the story, music (exploring the musical idiom while opera excerpts are presented throughout the evening), social commentary and impact of "Porgy and Bess." According to Sidlin, "The concert will present the musical styles which translated from the raw ghetto cultures of Charleston, South Carolina, and how George Gershwin and DeBose Heyward digested and represented this vibrant culture on stage." The opera's remarkable history also will be explored, he said, including "how the Danish Underground in WWII used part of this opera as a signal of resistance to the Nazis."

The program will include major portions of "Porgy and Bess," from the most famous excerpts to the little-known but powerful pieces, Sidlin said. Soloists include Kishna Davis, soprano, Marietta Simpson, mezzo-soprano, Samuel McKelton, tenor, and Arthur Woodley, baritone.

Nerve Endings was designed to attract new audiences and expand the traditional role of the symphony orchestra with innovative concerts. The series draws hundreds of new subscribers each season, and it attracts international attention to the Oregon Symphony for presenting classical music in a very "unclassical" way.

"October 10, 1935: The Sociology of George, Bess and Porgy" is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets range from $16 to $50 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Prices for students under 25 range from $8 to $30. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.