Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

Dame Felicity Lott, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

1993

In a storm-swept fishing village on the east coast of England, the fisherman Peter Grimes is an outsider—a loner who seems to attract trouble. Benjamin Britten’s breakthrough opera is all about atmosphere and sense of place, but it’s also a portrait of a community. And in this compelling 1993 recording from Bernard Haitink and the forces of London’s Royal Opera House, that’s precisely the sense you get: a team of performers thoroughly immersed in Britten’s musical world, singing together as a true ensemble cast. Felicity Lott (Ellen Orford), Thomas Allen (Balstrode) and Anthony Rolfe Johnson (Peter Grimes) were all supreme interpreters of these roles, and with the whole experience captured in pristine sound, you’ll soon hear why one critic described this as an “inspired performance in a superbly lifelike recording”.

"Peter Grimes" (Hobson, Swallow, Peter)

Stafford Dean, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, David Wilson-Johnson

1:36

"You Sailed Your Boat" (Swallow, Peter, Mrs Sedley, Chorus, Hobson, Ellen)

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Stafford Dean, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Sarah Walker, Dame Felicity Lott, David Wilson-Johnson

3:26

"Peter Grimes, I Here Advise You!" (Swallow, Chorus, Hobson, Peter)

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Stafford Dean, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, David Wilson-Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson

2:13

"The Truth, the Pity" (Peter, Ellen)

Bernard Haitink, Dame Felicity Lott, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

1:57

Interlude. Dawn

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

3:19

"Oh Hang at Open Doors the Net" (Chorus, First Fisherman, Auntie, Boles, Balstrode, Second Fisherman, Rector, Nieces, Mrs Sedley, Swallow)

Maria Bovino, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Richard Hazell, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Stuart Kale, Christopher Lackner, Gillian Webster, Neil Jenkins, Stafford Dean, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Sir Thomas Allen, Bernard Haitink

5:01

"Hi! Give Us a Hand" (Peter, Boles, Balstrode, Ned, Auntie, Hobson)

Patricia Payne, Sir Thomas Allen, Simon Keenlyside, Bernard Haitink, Stuart Kale, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, David Wilson-Johnson

3:33

"I Have to Go from Pub" (Hobson, Chorus, Ellen, Ned)

Dame Felicity Lott, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Simon Keenlyside, Bernard Haitink, David Wilson-Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

1:57

"Let Her Among You" (Ellen, Hobson, Mrs Sedley, Ned)

Sarah Walker, Tom Cregan, Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Dame Felicity Lott, Simon Keenlyside, David Wilson-Johnson

2:56

"Look! The Storm Cone!" (Balstrode, Chorus, Ned, Boles)

Bernard Haitink, Sir Thomas Allen, Simon Keenlyside, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Stuart Kale

2:42

"And Do You Prefer the Storm" (Balstrode, Peter)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Sir Thomas Allen, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Sir Thomas Allen

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

1:06

Interlude. Storm

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

4:20

"Past Time to Close!" (Auntie, Mrs Sedley, Balstrode, Boles, Nieces, Fisherman)

Maria Bovino, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Sir Thomas Allen, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Gillian Webster, Bernard Haitink, Christopher Lackner, Stuart Kale

4:39

"Come on, Boy!" (Balstrode, Chorus)

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Sir Thomas Allen, Bernard Haitink

2:12

"Have You Heard? The Cliff Is Down" (Ned, Auntie, Mrs Sedley, Balstrode, Chorus)

Sir Thomas Allen, Bernard Haitink, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Simon Keenlyside

1:37

"Now the Great Bear and Pleiades" (Peter, Chorus, Nieces, Boles, Balstrode, Auntie)

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Maria Bovino, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Patricia Payne, Sir Thomas Allen, Stuart Kale, Gillian Webster, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink

3:42

"Old Joe Has Gone Fishing" (Ned, Chorus, Peter)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Simon Keenlyside, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

2:18

"The Bridge Is Down" (Hobson, Ned, Ellen, Boles, Auntie, Nieces, Peter)

Maria Bovino, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Gillian Webster, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Simon Keenlyside, Dame Felicity Lott, Patricia Payne, Stuart Kale, David Wilson-Johnson

1:45

Interlude I. Sunday Morning

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

2:28

"Glitter of Waves and Glitter of Sunlight" (Ellen, Chorus, Rector)

Dame Felicity Lott, Neil Jenkins, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

5:34

"Child You're Not Too Young" (Ellen, Chorus, Rector, Peter)

Dame Felicity Lott, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Neil Jenkins, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

3:28

"This Unrelenting Work" (Ellen, Peter, Chorus)

Dame Felicity Lott, Bernard Haitink, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

4:42

"Fool to Let It Come to This!" (Auntie, Ned, Boles, Chorus, Mrs Sedley, Balstrode, Lawyer, Swallow, Fisherwoman, Nieces, Rector)

Maria Bovino, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Neil Jenkins, Bernard Haitink, Tom Cregan, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Karen Robertson, Simon Keenlyside, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Stuart Kale, Sir Thomas Allen, Stafford Dean, Gillian Webster

3:20

"People! No! I Will Speak!" (Boles, Chorus, Balstrode, Rector, Auntie, Ellen)

Neil Jenkins, Patricia Payne, Sir Thomas Allen, Stuart Kale, Dame Felicity Lott, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

2:01

"We Planned That Their Lives" (Ellen, Rector, Mrs Sedley, Boles, Ned, Nieces, Auntie, Balstrode, Hobson, Swallow)

Maria Bovino, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Gillian Webster, Simon Keenlyside, Neil Jenkins, Stafford Dean, Sir Thomas Allen, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Stuart Kale, Bernard Haitink, David Wilson-Johnson, Dame Felicity Lott

3:04

"Now Is Gossip Put on Trial" (Chorus, Mrs Sedley, Boles, Rector, Ned, Swallow)

Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Simon Keenlyside, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Stuart Kale, Neil Jenkins, Stafford Dean, Sarah Walker

2:21

"From the Gutter" (Nieces, Auntie, Ellen)

Maria Bovino, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Patricia Payne, Dame Felicity Lott, Gillian Webster, Bernard Haitink

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

3:14

"In Dreams I've Built Myself" (Peter)

Bernard Haitink, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

3:57

"Now! Now!" (Chorus, Peter, Boles, Rector, Swallow, Ned)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Neil Jenkins, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Simon Keenlyside, Stuart Kale, Stafford Dean, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

2:09

"Peter Grimes! Nobody There?" (Rector, Swallow, Ned)

Stafford Dean, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Neil Jenkins, Simon Keenlyside, Bernard Haitink

3:17

Interlude I. Moonlight

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

4:21

"Assign Your Prettiness to Me" (Swallow, Nieces, Ned)

Maria Bovino, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink, Gillian Webster, Simon Keenlyside

2:57

"Mister Keene! Can You Spare a Moment" (Mrs Sedley, Ned)

Sarah Walker, Simon Keenlyside, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

2:45

"Come Along, Doctor!" (First Burgess, Burgesses, Rector, Mrs Sedley, Ellen, Balstrode)

John Winfield, Edward Parry, Bernard Haitink, Christopher Keyte, Sarah Walker, Sir Thomas Allen, Jonathan Fisher, Neil Jenkins, Donaldson Bell, Jonathan Coad, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Dame Felicity Lott

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

Sir Thomas Allen, Bernard Haitink, Dame Felicity Lott, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

5:07

"Mister Swallow! Mister Swallow!" (Mrs Sedley, Auntie, Swallow, Hobson)

Bernard Haitink, Stafford Dean, Patricia Payne, Sarah Walker, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, David Wilson-Johnson

1:59

"Who Holds Himself Apart, Lets Pride Rise" (Chorus)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink, Chorus of the Royal Opera House

3:44

Interlude II. Fog

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

2:34

"Grimes! Grimes! Steady, There You Are" (Chorus, Peter)

Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

5:10

"Peter, We've Come to Take You Home" (Ellen, Peter, Balstrode)

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Bernard Haitink, Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Felicity Lott

2:47

"To Those Who Pass the Borough" (Chorus, Swallow, Fisherman, Auntie, Boles)

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Patricia Payne, Stafford Dean, Christopher Lackner, Stuart Kale

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Orchestra
Bernard Haitink

Conductor

Simon Woods

Producer