If anyone was ever in doubt whether in Porgy and Bess Gershwin had really written an opera as opposed to a jumped-up musical, this superb recording with Cleveland forces conducted by Maazel establishes the works formidable status beyond question. For one thing, Maazel includes the complete text, which was in fact cut even before the first stage presentation. With a cast that makes up an excellent team, there is no attempt to glamorize characters who are far from conventional, and the story is the more moving for that... the recording is one of the most vivid that even Decca has produced. The Penguin Guide