George Gershwin ： Summertime from Porgy and Bess

This piece is a piano arrangement of the memorable lullaby sung in Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess. Its gentle melody is supported by colorful harmonies with a blues-inflected character and rhythms that suggest a subtle sense of sway. Centered on the presentation of the melody, the music broadens its sonority through changes in the accompaniment and register. The melody should be allowed to sing naturally, while the inner voices and bass are kept restrained. A flexible sense of breath, without becoming too bound to the beat, brings out the quiet emotion and distinctive afterglow of the piece.