Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

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

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

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

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

3:19

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

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

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

1:06

Interlude. Storm

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

4:20

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

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

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)

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

1:37

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

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

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)

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

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)

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

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

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

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

3:14

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

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

3:57

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

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

2:09

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

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

3:17

Interlude I. Moonlight

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

4:21

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

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

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

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

2:34

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

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

5:10

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

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

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Stafford Dean

Vocals, Bass Guitar, Bass

Simon Woods

Producer