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

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

2:13

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

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

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)

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

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

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)

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

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)

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

Bernard Haitink, Gillian Webster, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Maria Bovino, Stuart Kale, David Wilson-Johnson, Dame Felicity Lott, Patricia Payne, 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)

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

5:34

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

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

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)

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

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

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

2:09

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

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

3:17

Interlude I. Moonlight

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

4:21

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

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

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)

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

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

1:59

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

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

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, 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)

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

2:47

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

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

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