Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Dame Felicity Lott, Chorus 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)

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)

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

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)

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

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)

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

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

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)

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

1:45

Interlude I. Sunday Morning

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

2:28

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

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

4:42

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

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

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

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)

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

3:57

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

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

2:09

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

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

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

1:59

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

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

5:10

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

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

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Orchestra
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Bernard Haitink

Conductor

Simon Woods

Producer