Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

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

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)

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

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

2:13

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

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

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)

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

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

4:39

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

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

2:12

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

4:42

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

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

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

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)

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

2:09

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

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

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, Gillian Webster, Simon Keenlyside, Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

1:59

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

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

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

5:10

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

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

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Orchestra
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano

Simon Woods

Producer