Performer: Jermaine Smith

Seattle Opera's memorable Porgy and Bess excels with an exceptional cast who performed with utmost sympathy for their roles.

The marriage between performers and score here is perfect, because Gershwin’s text-setting is near-miraculous, somehow every word is clear and seems to be naturally inflected by the curvature of the musical line.

The Opéra de Montréal's production of Porgy and Bess is both an artistic success and a reaffirmation of the work's importance.