Britten: Peter Grimes

Britten: Peter Grimes

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

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

1:36

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

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

3:26

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

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

2:13

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

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

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

5:01

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

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

3:33

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

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

1:57

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

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

2:56

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

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

2:42

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

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

3:52

"They Listen to Money" (Balstrode, Peter)

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

1:29

"What Harbour Shelters Peace" (Peter)

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

4:39

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

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

2:12

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

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

1:37

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

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

3:42

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

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

2:18

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

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

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)

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

3:28

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

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

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

3:20

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

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

2:01

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

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

3:04

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

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

2:21

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

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

5:03

Interlude II. Passacaglia

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Bernard Haitink

5:20

"Go There!" (Peter)

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

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)

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

2:09

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

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

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

2:57

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

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

2:45

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

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

2:50

"Embroidery in Childhood" (Ellen, Balstrode)

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

5:07

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

David Wilson-Johnson, Stafford Dean, Bernard Haitink, 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)

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

5:10

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

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

4:28

Benjamin Britten

Composer
Dame Felicity Lott

Soprano
Bernard Haitink

Conductor
Chorus of the Royal Opera House

Chorus
Stafford Dean

Vocals, Bass Guitar, Bass

Simon Woods

Producer