Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

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

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, Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

2:13

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

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

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

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)

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

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)

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

4:39

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

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

2:12

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

4:42

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

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

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

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

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)

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

2:09

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

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

3:17

Interlude I. Moonlight

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

4:21

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

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

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)

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

5:10

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

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

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Anthony Rolfe Johnson

Vocals, Tenor

Simon Woods

Producer