Free Essay About The Difference Between "Porgy And Bess" And "Oklahoma"

Because of the perceived gap between opera and the musical, the American musical have suffered a kind of low self-esteem. There was a felt a need of finding a relation between staged drama and concert music, in the early stages of development. The musical have seen a lesser acknowledgement as compared to films and jazz. Porgy and Bess was an attempt to extend musical and its idiom into the realm of opera. Oklahoma and its direction seem to take the challenge of making the musical even better. The perceived integration of musicals began with Oklahoma.
Porgy and Bess and Oklahoma are both musical films. While Porgy and Bess are based on an opera, which is in turn based on 1925 novel Porgy, Oklahoma is based on the 1943 stage musical. Oklahoma earned rave reviews and went on to get was voted a New York Times Critics Pick.
The recitatives and dialogues in Porgy and Bess are closely based on the opera that make for an intelligent combination of music and words, so as to create a dramatic expression. The opera carries controversies over its history regarding how Blacks have been portrayed in the storyline. Still, the musical has contributed to the careers of many Black vocalists significantly ever since and is still considered to be one of America's greatest operas. Porgy and Bess served as an inspiration for American opera and how to express everything in music. Oklahoma, the Broadway musical is known for its integration of song and storyline as well as simplicity in the production design. The plot of Porgy and Bess is racially charged, and the seriousness of the plot makes the recitative a bit unnatural.