Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

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

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

1:36

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

Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink, Dame Felicity Lott, 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)

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

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)

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

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

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)

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

4:39

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

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

2:12

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

5:34

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

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

3:28

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

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

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

3:20

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

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

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, Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink, Sir Thomas Allen, Gillian Webster, Neil Jenkins, Simon Keenlyside, Maria Bovino, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Dame Felicity Lott

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Bernard Haitink, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

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

3:14

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

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

3:57

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

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

2:09

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

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

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)

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

1:59

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

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

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

2:47

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Orchestra
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus

Simon Woods

Producer