Food for thought: Is director of Broadway-bound ‘Porgy and Bess’ tinkering — or tampering — with a classic?

Proposed changes to “Porgy and Bess” before its Broadway revival range from replacing recitative with dialogue to brightening up the ambiguous ending. Supporters say this new, “Bess-centric” version fixes the original opera’s thematic problems. Detractors, including Stephen Sondheim, complain of disloyalty to Gershwin’s classic. (Check out this link to The New York Times: http://tinyurl.com/3ula3jn). What do you think?

University Symphony offers a slice of Americana

Reviewed by David L. Schriber

Binghamton University Symphony Orchestra Director Timothy Perry enjoys putting together programs of American music. The concert last Saturday (Dec. 4) at BU’s Anderson Center focused on the narrow period of 1930-1955 with works of Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, Morton Gould, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin. Perry delivers his program notes in person, not leaving the audience to attempt to read printed notes in the dark. In doing so he can be more complete in his remarks. One always comes away having learned something not only about the music but about the historical and cultural context in which it was set.

Boston Brass joins Binghamton Philharmonic for Valentine variety

Reviewed by David L. Schriber

Love was in the air Saturday night (Feb. 13) as the Boston Brass quintet joined the Binghamton Philharmonic for a Valentine’s Day concert at The Forum in Binghamton. The program was a mixture of classical and popular music, some distinctively American and some high-energy Latin tunes.